Bittersweet Bonds
by VampireBasket
Summary: Akira Haiyuka is alone in the world until the Akatsuki learn about her ability and rope her in. Friendships grow and love blossoms, everything seems to be going well until a certain mission sends everything crashing back down to a harsh reality. Rated M for language-(Mainly Hidan). DeiXOC, AkatsukiXOC
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Hello readers!

This is really my first fanfiction so please feel free to give me lots of reviews and feedback!

I've used my OC so the prologue is really just her character profile. If you're struggling to picture her just google Karen from Onegai twins since she looks pretty similar to her. I hope I don't disappoint!

Enjoy :)

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS.**

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**OC profile:**

**Name: **Akira Haiyuka

**Age**: 20

**Birthday: **3rd November

**Hair Colour:** Teal/Green

**Eye Colour:** Blue

**Village:** Travelling race (No fixed village)

**Charkra Style:** Wind style

**Kekkei Genkai:** 'Sheado Kioku' Genjutsu – Uses music to create scenes and images in other people's minds. Can also portray memories/images into other's minds by touching two fingers to their foreheads.

**Parents:** Deceased

**About:** Generally a happy character despite background but trusts people too easily. Weak when it comes to Taijutsu and Ninjutsu but her Kekkei Genkai allows her to excel in Genjutsu.

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**A/N: **So that's all you need to know for now! Onto chapter 1 :)


	2. Alone Again

**A/N:** Hello again! Okay so here is chapter 1, there's a few things I should mention at this point.

Firstly, it gives you quite a bit of background on Akira but you get more details later.

It's set when she is 20 years old and it doesn't really follow the anime but you'll get the idea.

Also, the story behind Akira parents follows the song 'Whiskey Lullaby' by Brad Paisley Ft. Alison Krauss so go check that out on youtube it's a really nice story song.

That's all from me for now, enjoy! :)

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It was raining again. It was always raining in the country. She was alone again, but she was beginning to get used to the loneliness. After the first great ninja war, her mother and father had left the comfort of their travelling caravan and settled themselves into a small village on the outskirts of the Fire country. They had been fine. Like nothing would ever change. Oh but how it did.

Her mother was the one to break the peace. She said she was bored of her father and how he was always away at work earning a pittance just to keep them alive. She was bored of their small town and missed the excitement of meeting new people, seeing new sites and always being on the move.

So she left him.

Akira was just 6 at the time. When news finally reached them of her father's suicide, her mother was broken and wracked with guilt. She moved them back to their old house in an attempt to feel closer to her husband, but after 3 long weeks of fighting her drunken tears, her mother's lifeless form was found with her face buried into the pillow, clinging onto a single photograph.

Akira had snuck away long before her mother's body was discovered, hungry and confused. Wandering alone she reached the hidden Waterfall village where a kind, elderly couple took her in.

She grew up there, happy and loved by her adoptive parents. Although she knew she could not stay with them any longer. She was 16 and they had little money to feed themselves let alone her. So she moved on.

Moving through the hidden villages, she acquired short part-time jobs in order to feed herself and pay for a roof over her head each night. Sometimes she had no choice but to sleep out under the stars, but it didn't bother her too much.

She began to teach herself how to defend herself, and as the years passed she discovered her Kekkei Genkai and learned how to harness her chakra. The people she met were fascinated by her strange talents and word soon got around about the Sheado Kioku. Bearing in mind all this was self-taught, so she was by far the strongest ninja in the land, but she got by.

So here she was again. 20 years old and hopelessly wandering onto the next village in the hope of one day finding her purpose in life.

The night was falling thick and fast, so she found herself a hollow tree and unravelled her sleeping bag beneath it. She didn't remember much about her parents, but she remembered their warmth, especially on nights like this. Her blue eyes were dull and glazed, tired from her long day of travelling. Slowly, she let her lids slide shut and she listened to the pitter-pat and the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.

As she drifted in and out of sleep, she was suddenly aware of 2 other presences standing above her on the branch of her hollow tree. She snapped her eyes open, careful not to move her body and startle them. _I'm being silly. Surely they mean me no harm. I have no enemies that I know of._ She shook her head at her immediate response that they meant trouble.

She was about to shuffle out and ask them if they were looking for something, when one of them spoke.

'She's close, I can sense her chakra. It's faint but it's here,' A calm male voice echoed down to her ears.

'Which direction?' The second voice was deeper and rougher than the first.

'I'm not sure, it's only a faint trace,'

'Come on, Itachi. We'll check below the trees,' the second voice was already descending as he finished his sentence.

Horror rippled through her and she held her breath and sat up. She scrunched further into her tree as slowly and silently as she could, still not breathing.

'Wait, I sensed her chakra move,' the one called Itachi spoke quietly.

'Is she running?'

'No. Just shifting slightly… Over there,'

Her eyes wide with fear, she stared hopelessly at the hole in front of her, praying that nothing would block the light. A twig snapped behind the tree she was sat in and she moved her eyes away from the gap to glance behind her.

Suddenly, something grabbed her ankle and dragged her out from the hollow. Yelping in surprise, she clamped her eyes shut tight thrashed her limbs in panic.

'Hey I found her! Bloody feisty one this…' The rough voiced male was now dangling her upside down by her left ankle like a fish caught on a line.

'Kisame, put her down, we're here to negotiate not kidnap.' Itachi sighed, walking over to the pair.

Kisame growled and opened his palm, letting her drop to the floor in a squirming heap of arms and legs. 'Damn, Itachi you ruin all my fun!'

'W-who are you? Why were you l-looking for me?' Akira finally managed to string together her question as she stood up slowly, watching Kisame warily. They were both wearing long black cloaks with high collars and strange red clouds printed on.

Itachi spoke up. 'We're from an association of rogue ninja called the Akatsuki. We're here to make you a proposition.'

'W-what kind of proposition?' She eyed him suspiciously. He had raven black hair and blood red eyes that almost seemed to be staring into her soul.

Before he could answer, Kisame cut in with a toothy grin. 'Basically, you either join us or we kill you,'

'What?!' She blinked.

'Kisame!' Itachi growled, clearly becoming irritated. 'What he means is, if you join us we can offer you a place to stay, shelter from the elements and food on the table. In return you work for us and help us achieve our ultimate goal.'

'Which is?' She'd regained composure now, but her eyes still flitted between the two, watching their every move.

'Can't tell you that I'm afraid darlin', you gotta give us an answer first! Ain't that right, Itachi?' Itachi nodded once.

'Alright. Well I guess I'll go with you for now since it doesn't look like I'm getting a choice in the matter…'

Kisame slapped her hard on the back. 'That's the spirit! Right, _finally_ we can get back to the base. I'm starving!' The two males started to move away from her, until Itachi paused and looked back over his shoulder at her.

Akira wasn't sure what had just happened there, but at least there was food and somewhere to stay. She picked up her backpack and jogged to catch up to them. She began to wonder what her new 'home' would be like and how many other members were there in Akatsuki?

She supposed she shouldn't judge the group just yet from only this one meeting. _After all, how bad can this group be?_ She thought positively.


	3. Introductions

**A/N:** Greetings readers!

I know it's a little slow getting into the romance and I haven't brought Tobi in yet, but I do have plans for him.

After this chapter the relationships are going to start blossoming, hope you can stick with it!

Enjoy :)

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It was dark. Dark and gloomy. Dark and miserably gloomy. However, it was dry. And strangely warm.

Shuffling silently behind Itachi and Kisame, Akira had been taking notes on the two. Kisame was a peculiar looking human. His pale blue skin and small round eyes reminded her remarkably of that of a shark's. _Oh, stop it. I'm sure he's perfectly normal when you get to know him. _She mentally scolded herself for being so cynical.

Itachi was the opposite of his partner, much more human looking. But those eyes… She could have sworn they had been a deep red when she first saw him, however watching him now, lazily strolling down the dark corridors and only occasionally glancing behind to check she was still with them, his eyes were as black as night.

They rounded a corner and entered another stonewalled corridor, this one with a couple of wooden doors along the left hand side. Between the two figures in front of her, she could see a doorway at the end of the corridor with light squeezing through the gaps of the doorframe. When they were in front of it, Itachi disappeared behind it while Kisame beckoned for her to wait here.

'This is our leaders office. Itachi will do a mission report then we'll be called in.'

'Oh.' She wondered if their leader would look human. 'How many are there of you?' She asked, awkwardly trying to fill the silence.

'Nine at the moment.'

'Oh.' She bit her lip. He seemed to be concentrating very hard on the office door and appeared not to notice the awkward stillness of their situation.

'Enter.' A husky voice sounded through the door. They entered.

The office was surprisingly small, but unsurprisingly similar to the rest of the base – dark and gloomy. An orange haired man, with too many piercing to count, was leaning forward on his elbows with his chin resting on his hands. In the corner of the room, perched on an old and worn-looking couch was a pretty, blue haired woman with burnt amber eyes, which actually rather suited her.

_Both perfectly human-looking_ Akira thought, frowning inwardly for assuming the worst.

'So, you're Akira Haiyuka that I've heard so much about. My name is Pein,' He turned to Kisame. 'You may be excused.'

'_That I've heard so much about?' My reputation isn't that widespread is it? _'Erm… Please excuse my curiosity but how did you hear of me?'

Pein smirked. It wasn't a nasty smirk, just a vague expression of humour. 'A couple of my members heard of your interesting abilities whilst travelling through the land of the waterfalls. They've been pestering me for some new members for a while now.'

The woman suddenly laughed. 'To be honest, I think they just want some more women around the base… I'm Konan and currently the only female member of Akatsuki.'

She seemed very genuine, and Akira liked her instantly.

Pein turned to Itachi who was standing quietly beside Akira and they began to discuss the business of a mission she didn't quite understand. Konan had moved to the door and told her that she would be showing her the layout. It briefly crossed Akira's mind that she hadn't actually officially agreed to be a member yet, but she dropped the thought when Konan spoke up again.

'Pein and I will gather the members in the living area this evening so that you can be introduced. We've informed Zetsu about your arrival ahead of your introduction so that he doesn't get carried away if he mistakes you as an intruder.' _I wonder what she means by carried away_ Akira gulped.

'This will be your bedroom, there is a bathroom just inside but it's nothing special. My room is opposite so if there's anything you need I'll either be in there or with Pein. I know it's a lot to take in so I'll leave you to unpack your bag and collect you later.

'Thank you, Konan,' Akira smiled as sweetly as she could and she left. It was nice to have someone explain things to her rather than just speak in tongues.

The bedroom really wasn't anything special. It had plain beige walls and a stone floor. There was a slightly larger than single bed at the back and a small wardrobe and drawers. The bathroom was even more bland.

The evening came quickly and Konan returned as she had promised. She led her to a large square room with a small window showing the kitchen next-door. There was a couch against all but one wall and a few chairs in-between them. Akira noted that there was also a small television in front of the empty wall. It was also empty of people.

'They'll be here in 10 minutes,' Konan said, noticing her confusion. She settled herself into one of the couches and signalled for Akira to join her and muttered something about Sasori probably coming early.

As she sat down, a bright-red-haired boy casually pottered in and sat down on one of the chairs opposite where they were sitting. Konan acted as though she hadn't even seen him.

_How strange._ Akira wondered if he was shy or really just wasn't interested in her at all.

The others soon filed in one by one until they were all seated.

Akira counted eight.

There was Pein, Konan, Itachi and Kisame, the red haired boy and three she didn't recognise. She tried desperately not to stare at them, but the one with a dangerous looking plant around his head was proving difficult to ignore. He was breathing loudly and sounded as though he was whispering something to himself.

'Damn, that Deidara,' the red-haired boy spoke. 'Always has to keep people waiting.'

At that, Deidara (she assumed) strolled in yawning with his hands on the back of his head. 'Sorry to keep you waiting, Sasori,' Then, as if remembering something, he scanned the room quickly before turning to Pein who was leaning on the TV wall. 'So where's the new guy?'

'New _girl_,' Konan corrected. All eyes flashed to Akira, who suddenly felt very small. She shrunk into the couch, fighting the urge to move closer to Konan.

'Yes, Akira Haiyuka. Not an official member yet but has joined us nonetheless,' Pein gestured towards the plant man. 'This is Zetsu, you already know Itachi and Kisame.' His gesture moved to a grey haired man with pink, raspberry coloured eyes and an older male sat next to him with his arms folded. His collar was pulled up but Akira could see pale green eyes staring out at her. 'Hidan and Kakuzu. Deidara is the blonde and Sasori is the impatient red-head.'

Sasori tutted and Deidara rolled his eyes, but they were both now peering curiously at her.

'Meeting adjourned.'

It took a minute for Akira to realise Pein had just dismissed the 'meeting', and she watched as the Akatsuki members slowly left the room. She turned to Konan. 'Was that it?'

Konan laughed. 'Yes, don't worry you'll soon be sick of seeing them all.'

Akira blinked, completely lost. _What an unusual organisation! I hope it gets better than this…_

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**A/N:** Thanks again for reading! R&R please I love hearing your feedback :D x


	4. Abilities

**A/N: **Hello again fellow fan fictioners!

There is quite a bit more interaction with the Akatsuki in this chapter, and I've employed my boyfriend as my beta so hopefully I won't be skipping into random first person phases anymore.

Hope you enjoy! :)

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It was a long night. Akira lay there that night staring at her bland, stone ceiling, her ears alert and attentive to every cough, every footstep and every tick of her little desk clock. If the Akatsuki had wanted to harm her, she was pretty sure they could have managed it by now.

It took her an eternity to finally drift into an uncomfortable slumber, and she woke up a couple of times to doors shutting and voices outside her room.

When morning arrived at last, she was woken by a loud string of curse words and a harsh, ear-piercing scraping noise like a knife on a china plate. Startled, she sprung up and headed towards the door, briefly noticing that she had slept in her clothes from the day before.

'What the fuck did you think was gonna happen?! You fucking bombed my door off!' Akira popped her head around the doorframe to see the one they called Hidan screeching at a very irritate looking Deidara.

'Well if Sasori could just let go of that stupid illusion of his… that art is supposed to be _'everlasting' _and all that crap, it never would have happened!' The blonde snarled, reaching into his ninja pouch and clutching one of his kunai, just in case.

'Well go show off your shitty explosions by someone else's door,' Hidan scraped his weapon threateningly against the floor, repeating the hideous noise that Akira had heard earlier.

They were both so absorbed in their argument that neither had noticed the small green-haired girl watching with amusement.

'Pathetic, isn't it?' Akira jumped as Sasori, who had been standing further down the hall, materialized out of the shadows.

'Umm… What are they fighting about?'

'Deidara is always trying to prove to me that his idea of 'art' is superior to mine. The idiot got carried away and let off a few explosions right outside Hidan's room,' He pointed to a large, gaping hole in the wall, just down from where they were standing. 'That _was_ Hidan's doorway,'

She couldn't help but chuckle. 'Guess it's gonna be a little drafty for him the next few nights then?'

Sasori glanced at her, surprised by how relaxed she appeared.

'Hey! New girl!' They both looked back to Hidan and Deidara, who had decided to turn their attention on them. Hidan was grinning suspiciously. 'Fancy a spar?'

************ A few minutes later ***********

Hidan, Deidara and Sasori led her to a small outdoor training area, surrounded by a thick circle of foliage. Hidan positioned himself on the far side of the ring, his right hand clutching his oversized, three-pronged weapon that rested on his back.

'I'm not sure this is a good idea…' Sasori muttered, and then added, 'Try not to kill her, Hidan,'

'Pffft, she's in the Akatsuki now, if she's gonna stay here I can't go easy on her!' Hidan scowled. Akira resisted the urge to remind them that 'she' was still here, but they seemed to be enjoying hating each other too much for her to have the heart to interrupt.

Sasori raised an eyebrow and turned to Deidara. 'Maybe you should take her on first. I really don't feel like explaining to Pein why his latest investment has been a failure,'

'What are you trying to say, yeah? That I'm not as strong as _him_?!'

A loud, taunting laugh bellowed across the training ring from Hidan's direction. Deidara clenched his fists and glowered at Sasori. 'Fine. Let's see what she can do, yeah.'

Moving to stand at the opposite end of the ring from where Hidan and Deidara were switching places, Akira reached into her pocket and clamped her hand around a thin, wooden object.

When they were both in place, Sasori announced for them to start. 'Let's try and keep this clean… Begin!'

Nobody moved.

Deidara was shuffling in his ninja pouch and clenching and unclenching his free hand, while Akira was watching him carefully with her hand still frozen in her pocket.

'Someone fucking do something!' Hidan growled, getting agitated from the lack of action.

Akira snapped her hand out revealing a worn, wooden whistle, which she gently brought to her lips and closed her eyes. A soft, tranquil melody floated into their ears, and were all suddenly aware of a misty haze descending on the training ring.

'Crap!' Deidara growled, he had waited too long. He initiated his attack and flung his arms forward, releasing his closed palms. What looked like six tiny, clay spiders scurried across the ground circling out to surround his green-haired opponent, who only increased the pitch slightly to her lullaby. He made a hand sign for his creations to detonate, but it was too little too late.

Disappointment and annoyance flashed through Deidara's eyes as he realised the match was already over. A brief flicker of surprise ran through Sasori as he too understood the situation. Deidara was paralysed.

Akira opened her eyes and the music ended, a smile playing across her lips.

'What the fuck just happened?' Hidan was becoming more frustrated by the second. He wasn't one for being kept out of the loop, and the others all seemed to understand what was going on.

'It's her Kekkei Genkai.' They all flinched as Itachi emerged from the doorway and Deidara mumbled something distasteful unfathomable through gritted teeth. 'She uses music to instigate a Genjutsu similar to that of the Mangekyō Sharingan. She paralysed him by fooling the part of the brain that controls your movements into thinking it was frozen.'

'Ha, it takes a weak brain to be controlled so easily!' The grey haired male sneered, receiving Deidara's best bring-it-on scowl in return.

Akira released her Genjutsu and headed for the door, pleased that she hadn't given them a bad first impression of her ability. She left the four of them squabbling childishly amongst themselves and wandered back into the base to find the kitchen, suddenly feeling rather peckish. It wasn't too difficult for her to find, and she soon set about rummaging in the cupboards. She decided on a simple bacon sandwich, and while it sizzled under the grill, Akira drifted into the living room.

Kisame was sitting on one of the couches, leaning forward over a giant bandaged sword.

He looked up when she entered and grinned. 'You know, Deidara will be sulking for weeks now, right?'

She blinked at him, confused. 'How do you know about that already?'

'I saw the whole thing. Itachi and I heard that knucklehead, Hidan swearing his head off about something and were curious as to what was going on this time…'

'Oh, is he always like that?' Akira grimaced. She didn't know how someone could hold such a foul vocabulary and utilize such words in pretty much every sentence.

'Mostly, but I think the excitement of somebody new here probably has him all riled up for a fight. You'll get used to him,' He winked and stood up to leave. 'But seriously, you might wanna apologise to Deidara. It'll be more hassle than it's worth to leave it at that. He'll be fuming with himself too, especially since he already knew your ability! See you later, Greeny!'

It took her a second to realise what he meant by that, but when she turned to question him further he had already gone.

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading! Please R&R 3


	5. Sombre news

**A/N:** Another chapter updated for you!

There is definitely more DeiXOC in this chapter. I know I'm becoming obsessive with my lack of fluff so far but once I get to it I will shut up I promise.

Enjoy :)

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There was not much to do around the Akatsuki base, so Akira had taken to obsessive cleaning in the kitchen. There was an old-fashioned looking brown radio in the corner of the worktop that gave her boredom some form of relief as she waited for the dishes to pile up again. It sounded sad but with nothing much to keep her mind busy she often found herself in uncharacteristic and predominantly domestic situations.

Most of the Akatsuki had been sent out on missions, including Sasori and Deidara, which had given the rest of them a narrow escape from Deidara's sulking.

She wondered how he would act when he returned. Surely no one could hold a grudge for that long? Her naivety stemmed from her previous years of wandering forests and a considerable lack of human contact.

It had been five days since her spar with the blonde Iwa ninja, and thinking about it now as she positioned herself in the faded, cream-coloured couch in the living room – which she had decided was the comfiest – it seemed rather silly. Akira smirked upon remembering the look on his face as he realised he'd lost to the new girl. The new girl of whom he apparently already knew the abilities. She frowned. She'd have to remember to ask him about that when he returned.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a commotion of hurried footsteps and three rushed voices, all trying to speak over one another.

'I don't know what happened, yeah. I left him with that pink-haired girl and the grandma woman–' She recognised Deidara's snapping tone.

'Stop moving around, I'm trying to concentrate here–' Was that Kakuzu? She had rarely heard him speak.

'And you definitely didn't see him again after that–' That deep, hoarse voice she associated with their leader.

'Ow! That freakin' hurts, yeah!' Deidara snarled.

'Well keep still then like I said, idiot!'

The voices faded as they travelled down the corridor and Akira followed inquisitively.

She paused behind a large, rotting door where the voices had disappeared behind. The wood was thick and, despite it's age, was hard to hear through. Eventually, driven by curiosity, she pushed it open and peered into the dimly lit room. The first thing that hit her was the terrible stench of blood. She grimaced as she noticed the stone walls, plastered with years of built up grime and damp.

It was only then that she realised the three males who she had followed into the room had all stopped and were staring incredulously at her. Freezing, she opened her mouth to speak, failing to conjure any words that could explain her prying. Her eyes trailed down Deidara's shoulder and saw that there was a considerable lack of arm attached to it. His other arm stopped at his elbow and Kakuzu appeared to be stitching something to his shoulder with Pein holding the blonde down on the table.

_Stitching? Nooo that can't be right… I'm seeing things… Yeah, that's it. I've been bored for too long that my mind has started playing tricks on me surely…_Her head suddenly began to whirl and a high-pitched ringing surrounded her ears.

'_Please_ don't tell me you're scared of blood…' Was the last thing she heard before her world went dark.

*************** A few minutes later ***************

Akira's head hurt. Reaching up to rub her forehead, her fingers brushed over a tender lump on her hairline, which made her cringe. 'I must have banged it on something…'

'Try the floor, yeah!'

Her eyes snapped open to see Deidara and Pein standing over her. It took a minute until everything came flooding back. She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut, propping herself up on one elbow and clinging to her head with the other. 'How long was I out?'

'About 5 minutes. But more to the point, is there something you're not telling us?' Pein raised a pierced eyebrow at her.

'I'm not scared of blood. Not that I know of… It was probably just the condition of that room! When did you last clean up in there?!' She scowled.

'You offering?' Deidara teased, crossing his arms and– Wait, what? Akira did a double take and gawped at the Akatsuki member.

'Ah… Long story. I'll explain on the way, yeah.'

Pein left and Deidara waited for Akira to gain her balance before she asked, 'The way to where?'

'Pein has called a meeting with news from my mission,' She couldn't help but notice a hint of a shadow cross his eyes as he said the word news.

As they walked he explained that while away, he had lost both of his arms when fighting one of the Jinchuuriki, which she had heard of from her travels as a teenager. Kakuzu was the closest thing the Akatsuki had to a medic, and so he had stitched a 'transplant' to reattach his arms. He rolled up his sleeve to show a dark brown, wrinkled section of skin covering his elbow separating the top and bottom of the limb. Shivering at the thought, Akira had dared to ask him what it felt like, to which he had laughed and replied, 'Getting your arms ripped off? It hurts like hell, yeah!'

When they arrived at the living room, everyone else was already seated. On further inspection, Akira noted that a certain redheaded member was missing and she smiled at the irony of how he hated most of all to be kept waiting.

Pein did a quick headcount and then bowed his head solemnly. 'I'll get straight to the point. On the recent mission to capture the sand Jinchuuriki expelled by Deidara and Sasori,' he paused, appearing almost unsure of how to continue, 'Sasori of the red sand was killed in action. Until his position in Akatsuki can be filled, Akira will be teamed with Deidara. You are dismissed.'

Shock rippled through Akira's entire body as she took in what he'd said. Although it was true she didn't really have a chance to get to know Sasori, but that didn't prevent her from being hurt by the news. Then another thing hit her, she was being assigned to missions now? Her method of fighting wasn't exactly suited to the purpose of the Akatsuki… And what of her new partner? What if he didn't want to be paired with her? For all she knew his ego was still sore from their spar the day after she arrived here.

She looked around at the now emptying room. Even Hidan was silent, exiting the room with his head tilted down slightly and a single line creasing his brow. Deidara was still next to her and he cocked his head to one side to see the green-haired girl worrying her bottom lip.

'It's won't as bad as you think yeah. That mission was a one off for now, so you won't be going on anything like that.' Was he trying to comfort her?

She gave him a small smile but it didn't reach her eyes. 'I'm not worried. I'm sorry about Sasori,'

'Yeah, yeah. Who'd have thought it? Sasori of the red sand, beaten by a teenage Konaha ninja and his own grandmother,' He muttered, ignoring Akira's eyes widening at the end of his sentence. 'Anyway, see you in Pein's office tomorrow morning, yeah,'

'A-alright. See you,' He left her standing there. She sighed at her everlasting confusion. Making her way to her room, she considered what her life might have been like had her parents still been around.

She remembered the way her mother's aqua-coloured hair would hang across her right eye like a half drawn curtain, and her sapphire eyes would light up and shimmer when she laughed.

Akira's appearance predominantly resembled her mother, but she inherited her father's strong sense of loyalty and his gentle heart, which some considered to be his greatest weakness.

As she reached her room, shrouded by darkness and damp, the harsh reality of her circumstances struck her like a ruthless bolt of lightning. And for the first time since her mother's death, Akira cried.

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**A/N:** Thanks so much for reading :D Please feel free to R&R x


	6. First Mission

**A/N:** Thanks so much for sticking with me!

I worked really hard on this chapter, and I'm trying to update as fast as possible.

I really hope you like this chapter! Slight fluff ahead!

:D

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By the time Akira had reached Pein's office, Deidara was already standing outside the door, arms folded and tapping his foot with mock impatience. She opened her mouth to scold him but before the words arrived, a deep voice from beyond the door called for them to enter.

Pein was sat back in his desk chair, his body tilted towards Konan, who had positioned herself on the couch. The blue haired woman smiled warmly as the pair stopped before their leader, and Akira couldn't help but feel a slight sense of déjà vu.

Shuffling through some of the papers on his desk, Pein plucked out a pale yellow page with a faded photograph in the top corner. He handed the page to Deidara and eyed him cautiously.

'You may recognise this man, Deidara. He's been causing quite a stir in Iwa, claiming to have received a detailed tip-off on the Akatsuki location. We can't be sure how true his words are but I'd like to be on the safe side. Therefore, your mission is to silence him, _without_ making a scene.' His eyes narrowed at the last part at her partner.

Akira glanced at the blonde beside her, once again confused. His brows knitted together as he glared at the sheet. She chewed on her lip before her curiosity got the better of her, but as they left the room and made their way to the exit, she could no longer resist.

'Deidara?'

'Hmm?' He tilted his head in her direction but his gaze was fixed straight ahead as they left the base and made their way into the forestry.

'What did Pein mean when he said you'd recognise the target?'

Deidara sighed. He'd known deep down that she was going to be quizzing him for the majority of the journey, but he'd clung to the hope that she'd be too nervous to think of them being on her first mission. He pondered how to word his reply, not wanting to give her his life story, he settled on a short statement. 'He's just someone I knew before Akatsuki, yeah,'

'An old friend?'

_Damn_. This was going to be harder than he'd thought. 'Not really. He was a neighbour,'

'So you're from Iwa? I thought I recognised your headband,' She recalled the time when she had been living in the land of Waterfalls, a group of Iwa ninja had stopped in their village to pick up some supplies. She hesitated, wondering whether or not to ask a more personal question. Shrugging internally, she figured if she was going to be his partner for a while they may as well get to know each other. 'W-why did you leave your village?'

'You sure ask a lot of questions, don't you?' He snapped.

'S-sorry,' She replied meekly, fixing her eyes on her feet as she trampled the grass trail softly.

Deidara huffed, irritated that her easy submission made him feel so guilty. He argued with himself for a few steps, until reaching the conclusion that if she didn't hear it from him, Hidan would probably end up blabbing his life's secrets in an attempt to piss him off anyway. 'I sort of had to leave. Blowing up most of the village and stealing a forbidden kinjutsu isn't exactly something they agree with in Iwa,'

Surprised by his sudden honesty, Akira risked a glance at his face. He was watching her, waiting for her reaction with an unreadable expression. 'Why did you do that?'

'Ha, you should have seen it. The sky lit up with the most beautiful, flaming colours and the fires hissed and roared. All for the art of a single moment…' Ignoring her question, his eyes lit up as he remembered the scene and his lips curled up into crooked grin.

She smiled back, admiring his passion. It had been a long time since she'd seen that sort of enthusiasm over something that, to her, seemed so trivial.

They walked in silence for a couple of hours, both lost in thought as they reminisced. Suddenly, Deidara piped up.

'I have a much quicker way of travelling, you know. Keep going at this pace and it'll take us all week, yeah,' He smirked and, reaching into his ninja pouch, began to clench and unclench his fist, rolling a small white ball of clay in his palm. Akira watched him intrigued, and she could have sworn she saw something pink slip out of his hand, just for a second.

After a few seconds he was finished, and produced a small but perfectly crafted bird. Bringing his hands together, made a quick hand sign and the bird disappeared in a cloud of smoke. When it cleared, she was shocked to see an exact replica of the little model but on a much larger scale standing before them.

He grinned at her reaction and leapt up onto the bird's broad back, beckoning at her to copy him. Reluctantly, she raised an eyebrow, but complied against her better judgement.

'Is this thing safe?' She mumbled as she scanned it's surface for something to hang onto.

'Of course it's safe. So long as you don't fall off, yeah…' His smirk increased and, before she had a chance to panic, the bird was kicked into motion, wings spread and head raised, it soared into the air, quickly surpassing the height of the treetops.

She rolled backwards feeling completely unbalanced, and Deidara had to make a grab for her before she toppled over the giant creature's tail.

'What did I just say, yeah?'

'You didn't specify what to hold onto!' She yelled at him over the rush of the wind as it deafened her ears and stung her eyes. She felt herself wobble again as the bird gained altitude and had to cling onto Deidara's sleeve to stay in place.

He raised an eyebrow at her. 'Will you sit still already, yeah? It's much easier to balance when you're sitting still.'

Not letting go of his sleeve, Akira kneeled down and positioned so they were sitting back to back. She let go of the breath she had unconsciously been holding and vaguely noted that he had slowed down while she settled into place.

'See? It's not so bad,' Deidara chuckled, suddenly very aware that she was still clinging to his arm.

Despite everything, Akira had to admit she much preferred this method of transport to walking. They arrived a short distance from the Rock village just six hours later, and as the bird floated down the land, she couldn't help feeling a pang of disappointment.

She hadn't actually done much thinking about the mission itself, and now that they were so close, her breath hitched in her throat and her mind began to spin. Sensing her discomfort, Deidara reassured her that he'd take care of the action and that she could just back him up.

The village hadn't changed much so it wasn't hard for him to locate the target, despite the darkness creeping up on them. However, silencing the man without creating a scene wasn't exactly his style, but he decided to give it a go. Moving his hands to his ninja pouch, he completed his short ritual of clenching his fists and released two clay spiders, not dissimilar from those of their spar. _That reminds me I still need to ask him how he knew about my abilities!_

A small explosion sounded from inside the building they were snooping behind, drawing her back to the real world.

'Tsk, such a waste of art…' Deidara muttered and sent his second spider in through the window.

'Is it over?' She couldn't see a thing from where she was crouched, peering into the thick-with-dust windowpane. A second explosion sounded, and Deidara stood up to leave.

'It is now, yeah.' He sulked. Rolling her eyes, she followed his retreating figure. They had just about reached the unguarded walls of Iwa when suddenly a bright circle of light lit up their presence.

'INTRUDERS!' Akira froze like a startled rabbit caught in headlights. The voice was loud and accusing, and close.

'Move, yeah!' Deidara shoved her in front of him as they ran to their escape. More infuriated voices rang out behind them and Akira momentarily shut her eyes tightly, willing herself to move faster.

'So much for discrete, yeah,' she heard Deidara tut before he snaked his arm around her waist and hauled her onto the bird he had hidden just outside the confines of the village. Within seconds, the voices had faded into the distance and she realised he was still holding her middle.

'Umm, I think I'm okay now, thanks. I'm balanced,' She promised, her cheeks tinged with pink. He let her go and relaxed his posture, and they flew home in silence.

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading! Please R&R! :D


	7. Changes

**A/N:** Okay so this chapter is really where the story begins, introductions aside and all.

I hope you like it, please feel free to R&R and let me know how I'm doing!

Thanks again :D

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Two days had passed since Akira's first Akatsuki mission. Not much had happened since, except for a few awkward encounters with a certain yellow-haired member. Unfortunately for them, Kisame had been a witness to one of these moments, and she cringed inwardly on recollection…

_Akira had been snoozing blissfully and undisturbed in the living room after successfully completing her mission report that Pein had asked her to do. He had insisted on her contribution, annoyance clear in his tone at their lack of discretion. Akira was convinced that she also heard disappointment tint his words as, let's face is, she had pretty much been utterly useless during their assignment and if it hadn't been for Deidara, she would have been caught._

_Something clattered noisily in the kitchen next door and, startled, her eyes flickered open. Kisame was lazing across the couch opposite her, reading a tattered-looking newspaper, which he lowered as she propped herself up._

'_So, it lives!' He grinned and mirrored her action, throwing his paper onto a three-legged side-table._

'_Very funny,' She mumbled, stifling a yawn. She stood up to leave, eager to investigate the commotion in the kitchen. As she rounded the corner out of the doorway, her face collided with something hard, sending her stumbling backwards. Someone caught her wrist, pulling her up before she hit the ground headfirst, and as her dizziness subsided, her cobalt eyes widened as she took in the concerned expression before her._

'_You alright, yeah?'_

'_Y-yes, I'm fine… Erm, thanks…' A crimson flush tainted her pale cheeks as Deidara let her go, not fully convinced that she wasn't just going to plummet towards the floor again when he did._

'_S-sorry…' He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and fixed a stare at his feet._

_A loud, unbroken laugh erupted around them. Their eyes snapped into the living room to the blue-skinned ninja, who was clearly not bothering to hide his amusement._

'_What the hell are you laughing at, fish face?!' The blonde's futile attempt at silencing the other male only made him laugh harder. 'Just shut it, yeah!'_

_Akira slunk off into the depth of the corridor, scowling in frustration at herself for being so careless. _It shouldn't bother me anyway! It's not like anything even happened…_ The thought only deepened her blush as she hurried away to the safety of her bedroom._

Since then, she hadn't really left her room except to eat, and suddenly feeling very bored of the same four walls, she ventured out into the base to find her only female friend here.

Konan hadn't answered when Akira had tried her room, so she had reluctantly set off in the direction of Pein's office. As she approached the door, she was surprised to see the door was slightly ajar with voices echoing down the narrow corridor. They were muttering something unintelligible, but she could have sworn she heard her name mentioned.

Not exactly one for snooping, she turned sharply on her heel and made to leave, but as she did so she heard the door creak and delicate footsteps trotting after her.

'Akira!' Konan's feminine accent sounded behind her. 'I was just coming to find you.'

'I was looking for you too actually,' Akira admitted, innocently.

'Oh really? Is something wrong?' Her smile dissolved and a wave of unease crossed her pretty features.

'No, not at all! I was just craving company to be honest,' She reassured the blue-haired Akatsuki member.

The pair made their way to the kitchen and Konan set about making some form of odd-looking sushi.

Following Akira's gaze, she began to explain. 'It's for Pein. He gets so worked up over paperwork and pressure from the group that he often forgets to eat,' She sighed, clearly exasperated. 'He really needs to look after himself more and stop worrying about unnecessary things.'

Akira listened to her as she rambled on about their leader. It had crossed her mind before that there was some sort of connection between the pair, and the way Konan's lips curled into a smile fondly as she spoke of him only confirmed her suspicions.

She almost confronted her, but deciding against the intrusion, settled on a simple statement. 'He's lucky to have you look out for him.'

'You might think differently if you had tried my cooking…' She glanced down at her distorted concoction and frowned.

Akira crossed the kitchen and stood in front of the dish. 'May I?'

'Be my guest,' Konan withdrew from the worktop and leaned back against the dining table. She picked at a peeling corner of the aging MDF, mumbling something about it never even being used.

When Akira stood back, Konan's face lit up. The sushi look much more edible and Konan thanked her friend gratefully as they made their way back to the office.

'What was it you wanted to talk to me about?' Akira questioned, remembering her greeting.

'Oh that? Erm, let me talk to Pein first. I have a new idea for you,' Once again, Akira found herself alone and confused in the Akatsuki base, watching Konan disappear quickly down the hall. She sighed and rubbed her temples, feeling the beginnings of a migraine coming on.

************** A few hours later ***************

The Akatsuki assembled in the living room for the third time since Akira's arrival, awaiting the appearance of their leader. All eyes fixated dangerously on the armchair in the corner. Nestled quite comfortably in the cushions, was a stranger dressed all in black, with a contrasting orange mask with a spiral pattern resembling that of a lollipop. No one said a word, but Akira could almost cut the tension in the atmosphere with a knife.

Finally, after a suffocating two minutes, Pein entered with an amused-looking Konan in toe.

'I'll not waste any time, there are going to be a few changes made to the way things are around here,' Pein cleared his throat and gestured to the outsider. 'This is Tobi, he is going to be Sasori's replacement, therefore Deidara's new team-mate,'

The masked man leapt up, demonstrating an unexpected burst of energy. 'It's nice to meet everyone! Tobi hopes we can all become great friends!'

A few of the members visibly shuddered with annoyance at the perky newcomer's child-like tone.

'Furthermore, Akira will now be demoted to staying here at the base and tending to general housework. This includes doing all of the cooking, which brings me to my final point.' Akira's jaw hung open as she stared disbelievingly at the ginger haired leader. A few undisguised sniggers later, Pein continued. 'That means that every evening at 5:30, you will all gather in the kitchen and eat together, with the exception of myself, Konan and Zetsu.'

At this point, almost every jaw in the room had hit the floor. Despite everything, Akira had to hide her amusement at the fact that she'd never seen the Akatsuki so silent. Before anyone had a chance to protest, Pein and Konan had gone, leaving the group frozen solid and shocked to the core.

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**A/N: **So I finally brought Tobi in! Now the fun really starts :P

Thanks for reading! x


	8. Trouble at Dinner

**A/N: **Hello again readers :)

Sorry I didn't upload again last night, Microsoft Word decided it wasn't going to work for the night.

Probably because I've been abusing it for this story this past week...

The dinner scene was inspired by Scipio96, thanks so much for your lovely reviews :)

New chapter anyway, enjoy :D

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Despite Pein's sincere orders, most of the Akatsuki had felt it necessary to skip dinner that evening. Although once Pein had gotten wind of their absence he had soon driven them all into submission. It was quarter to 5, and Akira had already set about preparing a simple Sunday dinner, figuring that they'd all like at least one thing from that menu.

She laid out the table with the help of Konan, who had insisted that she definitely didn't want to miss this experience, regardless of her being excused.

Akira had already eaten before the others were due to arrive as she really didn't fancy having to dine with them all as well as having to cook. However she did decide that she would remain in the kitchen, just to be polite.

The Akatsuki filed in dead on 5:30. She watched as they squabbled aimlessly over who was sitting where and whose elbow was in whose personal space.

They eventually settled down, and she was suddenly aware that all eyes were on her. Konan cleared her throat and raised both of her eyebrows.

'Oh! You can begin?' Fiddling with a stray strand of hair, she was relieved to see them start to eat. In the silence, every sound was highlighted in an awkward family dinner manor. Knives and forks clicked and plates scraped across the wooden surface.

Feeling the uncomfortable tension, Akira directed her friendliest smile to the newcomer as he reached for one of the French loaves. 'So what brings you to the group, Tobi?'

Clearly thrilled by the attention, Tobi spun 180 in his seat to face her as she leaned on the worktop behind him, using his baguette as a baton. 'It's actually a very funny story Akira-san! It was about three weeks ago, and Tobi was walking along, minding his own business through the forest nearby–'

'Why the fuck would you ask him that?!' Hidan groaned and he head butted the table – with some force too, Akira noted. Tobi's rambling was starting to look as though it would never end, to the point where even the ever-stoic Itachi's brows had knitted together. His eyes were closed as he rubbed his temples in an apparent way of calming himself down.

The rest of the group however, were not as patient. Kisame had a murderous glint in his eyes and Kakuzu had his oblivious target locked in a hostile glare. Hidan had surprisingly not moved from his position on the table. _Maybe he hit his head too hard,_ Akira mused silently.

A vein throbbed in Deidara's forehead and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the edge of the table. 'Tobi. Shut. Up.' He seethed through gritted teeth.

Undeterred, the masked man proceeded to babble on about how his genius ninja skills had landed him with this amazing role as a master S-rank criminal in Akatsuki.

Finally, Deidara snapped. He snatched the baguette from Tobi's grasp and, with all the force he could muster, slammed it down onto the teenager's head. It shattered on impact with a satisfying crunch, sending breadcrumbs scattering onto the floor and across the table.

For a moment, nobody dared to move for fear of encouraging Tobi into retaliation. Unfortunately for them, without the supervision of their almighty leader, Tobi was left unrestrained. Leaping up, he sent his chair flying backwards making Akira wince at the sudden clattering that broke the silence. He balled his fists into the bowl of peas beside him.

'TOBI WAS TALKING, DEIDARA SENPAIIIIII!' He hurled a million tiny green balls in the blonde's direction, who conveniently ducked, only to find to their horror that they were now bounding in Hidan's direction.

Itachi found this the perfect opportunity to take his leave, and Kakuzu, Kisame and Deidara hurriedly slunk after him. As they retreated off down the hall, an infuriated, stomach-quenching 'FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK' echoed after them.

*************** Later that night ***************

'Guess we'll be needing another table then?' Konan sighed as she helped Akira collect the last few pieces of the splintered wood, leftovers from Hidan's rage. 'I've seen him pissed, but he's never tried to sacrifice a piece of furniture before…'

Frowning at the unlady-like curse word that fell from the blue-haired woman's mouth, she nodded. 'We should probably get one with a little more space too. And maybe some arm and leg restraints?'

Konan chuckled before wandering off reluctantly to inform Pein. Slumping into one of the surviving chairs, Akira wondered if tomorrow night was going to be any better.

'You just gonna stay in here all night, yeah?' A familiar voice accused from the doorway. Her eyes flickered to the clock – 11:50 pm. She hadn't realised she'd been cleaning for that long.

She scowled. 'Well if it wasn't for you none of this would have happened and I would have been asleep at least an hour ago!'

'That fool just gets on my last nerve, yeah,' He stalked past her to fumble in the fridge. 'I'm so damn hungry though,'

'There should be some sushi on the top shelf. I made a little too much for myself earlier.' She watched out of the corner of her eye as he reached up for the tub she had saved it in. 'Found it?'

'Yeah, thanks,' He perched on the worktop and helped himself. They sat there quietly for a little while before he had polished off the tub and grinned.

'Happy now?' She asked, grinning back.

'Just about, yeah,' He hopped off the worktop and headed for the door. Pausing under the frame, he glanced back over his shoulder. 'You coming?'

'Where to?'

'Well leaving the kitchen would be a start… Unless you're sleeping here tonight, yeah?'

She stood up and her legs wobbled. A wave of exhaustion washed over her as she began to make her way forward and she noticed Deidara watching her cautiously.

'What?' She asked, puzzled.

'I'm just deciding on whether or not you're about to collapse on me again, yeah…' He said seriously, but there was a mischievous sparkle in his eye.

'Well consider this your decision made – I'm fine. I'm not as weak as you think, you know. I mean I beat you already, didn't I?'

'Ouch! Alright already, get a move on then, touchy,' He stalked off down the corridor when something sparked her memory.

'Hey, wait!' She jogged after him. 'That reminds me, how did you know about my abilities before our match?'

He hesitated, unsure of how to answer at first, then shrugged. 'I'd heard about you when out on a previous mission, yeah.' He hoped she's drop it there, but she persisted.

'From who?'

'Just some travellers, yeah. Said they'd come from the Waterfall village and there was this old couple who'd been asking if they knew you.'

Her eyes widened. Old couple? Her adoptive parents? Why were they looking for her? What if something had happened and they'd fallen ill and needed her help. She gripped her stomach and a million and one scenarios whizzed through her mind in a internal whirlpool of panic.

She was vaguely aware of a hand resting on her forehead. 'Hello in there? Earth to Akira, yeah!'

She refocused and broke out of her unseeing stare. 'S-sorry… Did they say why the old couple were looking for me?'

He shook his head. 'They mentioned your ability to share memories. Something to do with that apparently.'

She frowned as they continued towards her room. _Why would that be relevant?_ 'Hey, Deidara?'

'Hmm?'

'Do you get holidays in this place? There's something I need to do…'

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**A/N:** Hope you liked that one! See you in Chapter 9... or 8... Cause of the Prologue... R&R :D x


	9. Time Out

**A/N:** Okay so just a minor point that I realise I haven't mentioned.

I keep referring to Tobi as a teenager, thats because he's 18 in this, Akira is 20 and Deidara is 23.

So yeah, Tobi is the youngest in my version :)

As ever, enjoy :D

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Tobi's voice was a constant, but Akira couldn't help but smile at his enthusiastic and over-the-top animated stories. She glanced behind her to where Deidara was following, surprisingly calmly. On further inspection she spotted his angry-looking balled fists and slight crease lines above his closed eyes. Unbeknown to her, Deidara was only holding his fury in for her sake, as she was clearly enjoying the company and the time away from the base.

It had not taken them long to convince Pein that her vacation was much needed, especially after a certain blue-haired Akatsuki member had piped up in agreement. He had allowed it on the condition that Tobi and Deidara accompanied her.

So here they were, making their way through the trees on route to the Waterfall village, the closest thing Akira had known to a real home.

Something Tobi had said caused a giggle to escape the green-haired girl's lips, and Deidara couldn't help but notice how young she looked when she laughed. His expression softened and he dared to dip into their bubbling conversation.

'I mean it's not everyday you get this sort of holiday with friends! Tobi is delighted to be able to share this journey with you Akira-san!'

Her laugh rang out through the trees once more as she turned to look at the orange-faced teenager. 'Please, just call me Akira! Akira-san is so formal,' She turned back suddenly and caught Deidara watching her. Their eyes met for a brief moment but the gaze was disturbed by a shout from ahead.

'Look Akira-chan! There is a stream up ahead… Deidara Senpai! Can we stop for a snack, oh pleeeeease!' Tobi danced excitedly on the spot, looking fit to burst.

'How can you still have so much energy… We've been walking all day,' The blonde huffed, but agreed anyway. They sat themselves down by the trickling water and Akira pulled her hair up into a loose bun. She cupped her hands in the cool stream and the rubbed her face lightly, sighing at the refreshing motion.

Deidara once again found himself watching her, intrigued by the way the sun lit up her crystal blue eyes as the rays slipped through the branches overhead.

The serenity was broken by an irritating splashing noise as his Akatsuki partner galloped through the water like an unrestrained colt. He resisted the over-powering urge to drown the pesky teen, and focused his attention on rolling a small blob of clay between his fingers.

'So… How does it work?'

He looked up startled by the sudden attention. Blue eyes met blue, and for a moment he had to think about what she had asked. She flicked her gaze toward his hand where the clay was still being squashed.

'Oh that… You're not the only one with a Kekkei Genkai, yeah,' he smirked. He unravelled his fingers and revealed his palm to the inquisitive girl. Akira stared in wonder as a lengthy pink tongue emerged from a line in the centre of his palm and she gasped in surprise.

'What… How…?' She leaned in to get a better view and the corners of the usually concealed hand-mouth flicked up. She blinked in disbelief. 'It grinned at me!'

He chuckled at her mystified expression and withdrew his hand as he stood up to leave. 'That scroll I stole from my village, the one with the forbidden kinjutsu?' She nodded once as Tobi joined them. He was listening quietly for once, probably just as intrigued as Akira was. 'It allows you to be able to mould your chakra with certain substances, yeah. In this instance, it's detonating clay. Impressive, yeah?'

'Tobi thinks it's pretty weird–' He clamped his mouth shut abruptly when he noticed the unimpressed glare he was receiving from Deidara.

'It's very handy, I'll give you that,' Akira winked, clearly proud of her hand pun.

He rolled his eyes and scowled sarcastically. 'Oh yeah, like I haven't heard that one before…' Deidara's voice trailed off and he stopped walking. On her right, Tobi mirrored his action and she followed their gaze to the clearing ahead.

Three middle-aged, burly-looking outlaws stood before them, blocking their path.

'Well, well. Look at what we have here, boys.' The first one stirred, smirking callously, a wicked glint in his eyes.

The second sneered as he regarded them with dark, onyx eyes. 'Weary travellers…'

'Aye, and look at what they got with them,' The last one's eyes fixed greedily on Akira. His milky white hair falling threateningly over his eyes.

'Low-life's,' she growled under her breath.

'Ooo, the girl's got a bark. You wanna come over hear and say that again?'

Deidara stepped in front of her defensively. 'Call yourself a man, threatening a girl like that, yeah?' He ground out, giving the pale-haired thug a death glare.

Before Akira had realised what was happening, the trio had split off and two raging battles had begun on either side of her. She glanced to her left to see Deidara flitting between the trees on a large clay dragonfly as he sent three small swan-like bombs spiralling toward his opponent. To her right, Tobi was prancing about childishly in a mean effort to avoid the enemy shuriken, somehow demonstrating surprising skill.

Anxiety gripped her as she realised the third man was missing, and she began to retrace her steps into the foliage for cover. Suddenly, a rogue kunai sliced through the air past her ear and another pierced her right shoulder. She gasped, more out of shock, and yanked the offending weapon out from her flesh.

Without being able to help herself, she winced at the pain causing her steps to falter. Seizing his chance, the third bandit made a grab for the retreating figure. Akira picked up her pace to escape into the safety of the bushes, but she was too slow.

He thrust a hand against her weakened shoulder and kneed her hard in the stomach. She dropped to the floor and her arm hung limp at her side, dislocated.

He pushed down hard against her wrists and straddled his helpless victim, pinning her to the floor. Akira squirmed beneath him, desperately trying to free herself. Not that it would make much difference, she knew better than anyone that her skills as a ninja didn't stray far from her Genjutsu, and without her beloved whistle, nestled securely in her pocket, she was as good as dead.

_Stupid girl,_ she cursed herself. Why didn't she bring it out as soon as the bandits appeared. _Stupid, useless girl._

'Not such the big talker without your friends, are you girly?' She recoiled from the foul stench of his sadistic, toothless grin and began to wriggle harder. Her good arm slipped free and her hand scrabbled to reach her pocket.

'Not so fast!' He slammed a chakra-filled palm onto her chest, causing her to gasp for breath. A silent tear slipped from her eye and her thrashing slowed. She squeezed her eyes closed and tried to get a hold of herself.

'What the–' A loud explosion sounded above her and the man began to scream. The burden was abruptly lifted from her waist as everything went silent. Her breath came in short, sharp, rasping pants and a high-pitched buzzing was ricocheting around her eardrums.

Her eyes snapped open to see the remains of the perverted bandit strewn across the grass alongside her. Deidara, who was crouching by her side, dipped his head as he scooped her up from the ground. Her head slumped against his chest, unable to support the weight any longer and she let her eyelids slide closed. She listened to the stable rhythm of his heartbeat as she tried to steady her own.

It began to dawn on her that the blast was from one of Deidara's bombs and was also the cause of her sudden lack of hearing. Akira felt herself slowly drift into unconsciousness, finally feeling safe enough to do so.

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading! Please feel free to R&R, helps a lot :) x


	10. The Dire Truth

**A/N: **To make up for not posting a chapter yesterday, I'm uploading two today, you lucky people :P

Well, lucky if you like it so far anyway. Please let me know how I'm doing!

Enjoy :D

* * *

It had been almost 24 hours since their run-in with the bandits from the forest.

Akira still hadn't woken up and Deidara was beginning to think the worst. Her breathing seemed to have stabilised though, and as the old man had said, her body would probably need a while to recover, especially after what she'd gone through.

He stomach growled, and he cursed himself for declining the food the elderly couple had offered him earlier. He debated with himself for a while about whether or not to see if there was anything leftover, but decided against it when he heard Akira mumbling something in her sleep. A little startled, he stared at her for a few long seconds before deciding it had been his imagination.

But then, her eyes flickered. Disorientated and considerable groggy, her sapphire iris's struggled to focus on the yellow-haired figure perched on a worn, wooden stepping stool next to her.

'D-deidara?' She grimaced as the pain hit her like a train. 'Owww…'

'Yeah, you might wanna take it easy for a few days… You're not in the best shape, yeah.' He frowned and pushed a glass into her hand. 'Drink,' he ordered. She sipped the water and groaned when the stale flavour reached her throat.

Wincing as she shifted onto her elbows, she felt the springy mattress twang beneath her and she began to recall the events from the day before. Her shoulder ached and chest felt tight and constricted, and as she moved to sit up her head throbbed.

'Careful… You hit your head pretty bad, you know. Must've been when that _sick bastard_ knocked you down,' He glowered momentarily before forcing himself to exhale slowly.

Her hand drifted involuntarily to the back of her head, where she ran her fingers over a rather large and tender lump. She was suddenly very aware of a dimly flickering log fire opposite her bed. Above it, the mantelpiece was crammed with picture frames and small ornate statues of wolf packs and fox cubs. Beside it, a washed-out-looking armchair sat in the corner beneath a thick layer of dust, as though it had not been touched for years. As her gaze edged around the room, absorbing every detail in her surroundings, a strange feeling of familiarity arose within her.

'Where are we?' She asked the blonde.

'We're in the Waterfall village,' He said cautiously, trying to gauge her blank reaction. 'Tobi wouldn't quit nagging me about getting you medical attention straight away, and the only option really was here…'

It was only now that she noticed Tobi's absence, and she felt a pang of guilt for her lack of concern. Her eyes scanned the room once again looking for the perky teenager.

'Tobi's out annoying the villagers, yeah,' Deidara muttered as if reading her mind. His expression softened unexpectedly when he mentioned his partner. 'But he was pretty worried about you, yeah. I should probably go let him know you're awake,'

He left without another word.

So they had arrived… It took a few more minutes before she clicked and realised the room she was lying in was hers. Sure enough, on closer inspection she began to recognise faces in the frames and her memory sparked as her eyes rested on the neglected armchair. _They mustn't have changed a thing since I left… But where were they?_ She shook her head before she allowed herself to assume the worst.

Something shifted in the doorway and her eyes snapped to the culprit.

'So you're awake then,' the voice was kind and hoarse, and as she stared at the withered man before her, she felt a small droplet trickle down her cheek.

'Tenma…'

She had never called her adoptive parents 'mother' and 'father', because she felt it would have been disrespectful to her real parents memory. However the bond she shared with them was nothing far from real.

Tenma enveloped his arms around the injured girl and hugged her like he'd never let go. 'It's been so long. What made you return?'

'I heard that you were asking about me,' she sniffed and dried her cheek on her sleeve. 'I thought maybe something had happened and you were in trouble.'

The old man smiled, a sad glint in his eye, and patted her on the head. 'Don't you worry about a thing for now. I have missed you so much, I just wish you'd have visited us before now,'

'I would have but… I didn't want to return a failure! I wanted to do something with my life, something you could be proud of… I guess this is the complete opposite of what I was hoping…' She played with her hands, feeling ashamed of the state she was in.

To her surprise, he chuckled. 'You should have seen the look on my face when I saw those boys carrying you into the village like that. I was about ready to murder them both on the spot!'

'He nearly did as well!' A feeble woman's voice entering the room made them both jump. 'He thought that _they_ were the ones who had hurt you so badly, although, now it's clear to see that was definitely not the case,' the laugh lines curled upwards beneath the woman's eyes as she offered Akira a small smile. Her adoptive mother seemed somewhat, nervous to be around her, but Akira brushed it off as her imagination. After all, as she had not seen them for four years!

'Alyssa is right, that boy has barely left your side since you arrived,' Tenma winked at his daughter as both of her eyebrows lifted into her fringe.

Tobi chose that moment to come bounding in and crushed her into a bear hug. 'You're alive! Tobi _knew_ that this was a good idea, he _did_! He said 'Deidara Senpai! It is for the best and she requires medical attention right away!' '

And so his story continued, for most of the night actually, much to Deidara's dismay. They had all relocated to the living room, where Akira had laughed all night, Tobi had never shut up and Deidara had sulked. The old couple had sat back, seemingly content just to watch and listen, smiling as they watched their daughters eyes light up.

When they woke the next morning, Akira was already up making breakfast. The blonde Akatsuki member had attempted a short argument with the stubborn girl, telling her that she should be resting not cooking, but he had sufficiently lost the battle and surrendered to a seat at the table.

'What are you making Akira-chan?' Tobi piped up.

'Pancakes!' She grinned, excitedly.

'Pancakes?' Deidara scoffed. 'That's hardly a breakfast choice.'

Her face fell and he cursed himself for coming across so aggressively. He had meant it to be light-hearted, but for some reason it had been just the opposite.

When they had finished, the old man had suggested that the two boys head out to collect some more wood for their small fire that had burned out overnight.

Once alone with her parents, she turned to them and frowned. 'Alright, what's the real reason you were looking for me?'

The couple exchanged nervous glances and remained silent. Eventually, Tenma spoke up. 'It was about a year ago…' His voice was quiet and calm, giving nothing away. 'There was erm, a disagreement, shall we say… Between the Waterfall village and the Sound village. All over some _stupid_ plot of land that divided our towns,'

He paused, and his wife took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze to encourage him to continue. 'They invaded our village, burnt down our buildings and murdered our people…'

Akira could hardly believe what she was hearing, and it pained her so much that she had not been there to defend her family. 'Were you hurt…?'

The old man nodded slowly. 'I was fighting front line, so I wasn't there protect her when she needed me the most…'

Alyssa cut him off. 'It wasn't your fault, Tenma, you know that. I had been helping the children escape through the passageway behind the Taki Waterfall when a group of Sound ninja spotted us…'

Unsure of where this was leading, Akira shifted uncomfortably on her chair, her face a twisted mixture of concern and anger. Tenma was the one to continue.

'They fired a few kunai armed with paper-bombs at the rock wall, and it caved in burying Alyssa and several children beneath it,' His face contorted with agony as he recalled the horrific memory. 'We got them all out alright, but she was lucky to survive with only a minor head injury, or so we thought… It was only in the following weeks that the extent of her concussion was revealed.'

'The truth is Akira… I have no memory of anything from before the accident,' Akira felt her blood run cold as she stared at the people she called her parents. The dire reality that her mother figure had no recollection of her at all was unbelievable. Unable to think straight, her mind reeled back over the previous day to how Alyssa had been with her.

The actual truth was, this whole time, Alyssa had been going off stories that her husband had been telling her from the past. He had spoken of their daughter so often and so fondly that Alyssa already felt like she remembered her.

It was then that Akira realised the reason they had been searching for her. Her ability to project memories was all the hope they had left.

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**A/N:** DUH DUH DUHHHHH. There will be more fluff in the upcoming chapter :) Stick with me :D x


	11. Heading Home

**A/N: **Hello again fellow fanfictioners!

I'm building on Akira's relationships with Deidara and Tobi in this one, so I hope you like it!

Please R&R and let me know how I'm doing :D x

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After slightly recovering from the initial shock, Akira had offered her two forefingers to Alyssa. Deidara and Tobi had returned and were being uncharacteristically patient as they waited to see they were up to.

Tenma smiled at his wife reassuringly and Akira's hand moved again to meet the frail forehead, as she began to hum a soft, relaxing melody.

Alyssa closed her eyes as though she had done this a million times. Her evident trust in her husband's words was undeniably strong as she allowed the green-haired stranger to enter her mind.

Akira's fingers began to glow a faint pastel-pink colour and light flickered through Alyssa's thoughts. Akira had never really done this without any real purpose, in the past it had been petty reasons, like proving to people that she was right on remembering certain details. Not wanting to miss any vital memories, she openly shared both happy and sad times, sending a whirlwind montage of their lives together into her memory, her first night with them, getting to know each other, their inside jokes, their arguments. Even her leaving…

They stayed like that for another few minutes, nobody daring to move in case they interrupted and, when Akira's eventually withdrew her fingers and the soft glow subsided, a single tear glistened on her mother's cheek.

Their eyes met and as they gazed at each other as a vivid understanding ignited between them. Lurching forward, a great sob burst for the old woman's throat as she clung to her long lost daughter with all her life.

'T-thank you…' She whimpered, burying her face into the soft, teal locks. 'Thank you, Akira.'

*************** Later that day ***************

The lazy afternoon sun was already beginning to dip below the horizon and Akira sighed as she reminisced in her old thinking spot. Located at the summit of the waterfall, the overhanging willow trees swayed softly in the gentle breeze like a leafy sunscreen, protecting its core from prying eyes. She leaned her head back against the withered trunk and closed her eyes, worn out from the day.

After Alyssa's memory had been restored, the trio had then proceeded to examine every photo album the couple had collected over their lifetime and they filled her in on everything she'd missed since she'd left. It was strange to think so much had happened and yet, the village looked no different to the very first time she saw it.

A voice near the head of the waterfall drew her out of her thoughts. 'Akira? You up here, yeah?'

'I'm under the willow,' she called to him, and a familiar blonde-framed face poked through the caressing arms of the willow tree. Deidara brushed them out of his hair as he moved to sit next to her, leaning against the bark.

'The old man said you'd be up here, yeah,'

She smiled as a rush of fondness for the old couple washed over her. 'I've missed this place. I used to do all my thinking up here,' She paused and tilted her head towards him. 'Was there something you wanted?'

An odd expression tainted his features that Akira couldn't quite read, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come. 'I just wanted to let you know that the week Pein gave us is almost over, yeah. We should be making a move by tomorrow morning at the latest.'

A sad smile crossed her face. 'I guess we should be…'

They sat in silence for a few long minutes, both deep in thought, until finally Akira spoke again. 'Was there anything else?'

'Hmm?'

'That you wanted to speak about? You came all the way up the waterfall just to tell me we're leaving tomorrow?' She scowled internally at her sarcasm, which she hadn't meant to use.

He looked slightly offended but didn't comment on her harsh tone. 'No that was all, yeah. Guess I'll leave you to your thinking then.' He stood up to leave but he stopped as he reached the curtain of leaves.

Akira watched him curiously as he hovered there. His face was twisted into an almost angry expression and finally he sighed and turned back to her. 'How's your shoulder today, yeah?'

'It still aches, but it's getting better,' She got the feeling that wasn't what he had wanted to say. 'Erm, Deidara?'

He hmm-ed again.

'T-thank you… You know, for saving me… A-and I'm sorry that I wasn't much use back there…' She looked down awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck. When she looked back up, he was staring at her incredulously, as if he'd never been thanked before.

Unsure of how to respond, he did so in the only way he knew how. 'Yeah, yeah. Just don't slow us down on the way back, yeah? Cause it'll be my neck on the line if we're late!'

She chuckled, relieved at his sudden light-hearted tone. 'I'll do my best!'

He quickly retreated back down the uneven gravel path that led up the side of the rock wall, skidding slightly as the stones dislodged beneath his feet. _What the hell was that all about? I sounded like such an idiot…_ He cursed himself in frustration. He wasn't even sure himself of what he had wanted to say or even why he'd sought her out. _How's your bloody shoulder? What a stupid question._ He tutted and hopped off the rocks towards the village, shaking his head.

*************** The next morning ***************

Goodbyes were never easy, but Tenma and Alyssa's inconsolable expressions almost broke Akira's heart as she walked away. Unable to shake her guilty feeling of abandoning her loving adoptive parents for the second time, she clutched her hands against her chest and tried to hide her silent tears beneath her teal fringe.

Deidara and Tobi had already started bickering about the fastest way to get home and she did her best to distract herself with their rambling voices.

'Fine! You can walk if you insist but don't come crying to me when Pein rings your neck for being so late, Tobi!' A giant clay owl appeared in a thick poof of smoke and the blonde leapt onto it's back. Within seconds, it had taken to the sky and was disappearing into the distance.

Akira blinked. 'Tobi? What just happened?'

The teenager turned to her and laughed nervously. 'Erm… Well we may have just lost our ride home…'

In all honesty, she didn't mind walking back, and the thought of being up on one of Deidara's flying clay constructs again made her feel a little light-headed. 'Well I guess we better pick up the pace! We don't want his head to get any bigger, do we?' She winked and Tobi jumped forward into a jog giddily. She followed and hurried to match his energetic pace.

The journey was, thankfully, straightforward and bandit-free. Akira had soon forgotten her sorrows as Tobi's happy-go-lucky attitude had her giggling all the way home. _Home…_ She wondered absently when she had started to think of the Akatsuki base as her home. As they neared the entrance, the pair began to search the muted evening sky for a large white bird. When they both drew a blank at the doorway, they collapsed back-to-back, worn out and panting.

'What dya think then?' Akira managed between breaths. 'You reckon we beat him?'

'Probably not…' Tobi chuckled. 'But we gave him a good_ run_ for his money, didn't we?'

'That's a bad pun, Tobi!' She still laughed though.

'So, you made it just on time…' Pein surprised the duo from the doorway. 'I trust your time-off was well used?' His eyes narrowed as his gaze fixed onto Akira's bandaged shoulder.

Still leaning against Tobi's back, she grinned at their leader. 'Yes it really was! Thanks so much for letting me go at such short notice!'

Slightly taken aback by her openness and sincerity, Pein grunted and turned on his heel, stalking back into the hideout.

'I think leader-sama likes you, Akira-chan!'

'I just don't think he can be bothered to argue if he can help it,' She smiled, leaning her head back against Tobi's shoulder blades. She felt him relax behind her and, yawning, she closed her eyes. They stayed like that until nightfall, both content in each other's company as they unwound from their day's journey.

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**A/N:** So what did you think of that one? :) Hope I'm doing okay so far x


	12. Stranger

**A/N:** Okay in this chapter the plot thickens!

Another character brought in and more DeiXOC!

Enjoy :D x

PS: I made a few minor adjustments at the bottom so anyone who's read it already might wanna double check it :) x

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Akira settled surprisingly quickly into a routine of general housework, and mealtimes gradually grew less and less hostile, with the help of Konan and the occasional attendance of their leader.

As for around the base, the members quickly picked up on the fact that if they ignored Tobi for long enough he eventually got bored and often wondered off to find Akira, keeping her company as she worked. Hidan rarely held back on the opportunity for a snide comment about how she always ended up being stuck with the orange-masked teen, but she didn't let it bother her. After all, she enjoyed Tobi's company and was growing very attached to him.

Even Deidara was beginning to put up with his hyperactive nature, although he'd never admit it, but he kept his distance all the same.

One ordinary evening, as the wind howled through the trees outside and a cold, harsh draft swept across the Akatsuki base, Akira had just finished cleaning up in the kitchen when she was suddenly aware of another presence beside her. She spun around expecting to see Tobi or Konan, but she was greeted by an empty kitchen.

She frowned uncertainly, trying to shrug it off, but as she put away the last plate into the neatly stacked cupboard, the feeling returned.

'Tobi?' She called against her better judgement. 'I-is that you?'

She swallowed the lump that was growing in her throat and forced herself to move into the doorway. It didn't help that the base was always so dimly lit, and squinting up and down the corridor she headed into the unoccupied living room.

'Looking for me?' A shiver ran down her spine as a dangerously quiet, oily voice slithered to her ears. Spinning around, she found herself almost nose-to-nose with a man she had never seen before. His pasty pale skin enhanced the lilac lines that slid across his eyes and half way down either side of his nose, and his long dark hair clung to his cheeks as it drooped lifelessly over his face.

Holding in her gasp and taking a step backward, Akira tried to keep her voice from shaking. 'Oh hello… I don't think we've met. My name's Akira Haiyuka,'

'Hmm.' The stranger gave her a sly smile and looked her up and down. 'Perhaps you can help me?'

'I'm sorry but… Who are you? I-if you don't mind me asking?' She gulped nervously. Something about him set alarm bells ringing in the back of her mind but she dared not run.

'Oh don't be nervous, Akira Haiyuka. I used to be a part of this organisation myself,'

She hadn't been expecting that. 'Oh, well, why don't I show you to Pein's office? I'm not the best person to ask for help here, I haven't been here long so I don't really know that much…'

Before the stranger could reply, a sharp intake of breath came from behind him.

He turned and met the furious glare of a seriously pissed-looking Hidan. 'Well, well, well. My old friend, how nice of you to come to greet me,' He smirked and swished a long thin tongue across his lips.

'Orochimaru…' Hidan seethed. 'How fucking dare you show your face in here…'

'Come now, Hidan, there's no need for such a feral attitude. I simply came to greet your new little housewife,' Suddenly, he was behind her. He wrapped one hand possessively around the same shoulder she had injured a while back, and had a kunai poised by her throat with just enough pressure to draw a small dribble of blood.

Akira froze instinctively. Terror rising in the pit of her stomach as she braced herself for whatever came next.

'You take your slimy FUCKING hands off her RIGHT NOW!' the grey-haired man snarled as he slammed his triple-bladed scythe on the hard stone floor, leaving a small crack in the process.

Upon hearing the uproar, a few other Akatsuki members who had arrived on scene to investigate were now reflecting Hidan's threatening posture.

'Itachi, Kisame, Deidara! How lovely of you to join us,' Orochimaru's grip on her shoulder tightened and a small whimper escaped her mouth as her arm began to go numb. Not wanting to show her weakness, she bit down hard on her lip.

'Orochimaru.' Itachi spat out, conveying a surprising amount of hatred for someone usually so emotionless.

'You gonna give us a hint as to what we owe the pleasure?' Kisame's voice was low and collected, yet possibly the most terrifying that Akira had ever heard. His small beady eyes were narrowed and deadly.

Deidara opened his mouth several times but it immediately snapped shut again, unable to formulate a suitable string of words through his fury.

'Well now that I've got all of your attention, there's the small matter of a certain ten-tailed husk…' He paused and watched their grim expressions turn sour.

'So that's what you're after…' Itachi muttered, realisation sparking in his blood red eyes. Akira had barely noticed them change, although she was a little distracted with a knife menacing her neck.

'Let's just cut to the chase. You tell me the location of the beast and I let your little friend here go,' His cruel yellow eyes darted from member to member, daring them to defy him.

'Erm, how about you fuck off and mind your own business?' Hidan challenged.

'I did have a feeling we'd have to do this the hard way…' He moved the kunai away from Akira's throat, ready to stab the cold metal straight into her jugular.

Adrenaline coursed through her veins as the heat of the moment seized her and, taking her only chance, she spun on the spot to face him and thrust her knee into his stomach.

His nostrils flared as he gasped caught off guard and startled by her sudden burst of life and Akira staggered backwards, surprised herself. The three Akatsuki took their opportunity to attack and were suddenly surrounding him, weapons (and clay) at the ready.

He sighed and scowled at the quivering girl who had backed herself against a wall. 'You are really gonna regret that, you know… Well I hate to love and leave you fellas but I really don't fancy sticking around for the party,' He locked eyes with Akira and she found herself completely unable to look away. 'Don't you worry, you'll see me again,'

With that, he began to melt into the ground as though it were a pool of water.

'Don't let that bastard escape!' Hidan, Deidara and Kisame sprang forward to pull him back but he was already gone, and their heads collided with a loud smack.

'Tsk…' Itachi rolled his eyes at the fools rolling on the floor as their heads slowly stopped spinning. 'I'll inform Pein of this at once.' He made for the exit, only pausing to glance at Akira with mild concern, who had slid to the floor and was staring at her knees. Kisame followed, grumbling something unintelligible about Orochimaru.

'Hey, I'm coming with you. That fucking snake…' Hidan leapt after him, leaving her alone with the blonde.

For a moment, Deidara didn't move. He just stood there, watching.

Akira wasn't sure what to think, her head reeled as a million questions spun around her mind. _Who was that? _What_ was that? What's the ten-tails that everyone seemed so horrified by?_ Something stirred beside her and she jumped.

'Hey, it's alright. It's only me, yeah,' He slumped on the floor next to her and let out the breath he'd been holding.

She glanced at him and found him staring at her neck, flecks of concern littered his eyes.

Absently she moved to wipe the red from her skin, but Deidara caught her wrist. 'Don't, you'll just make it worse… Here.' He fumbled in his pocket and brought out a torn white cloth. He lifted it to the small line where thick red liquid had seeped out, dabbing it gently.

He was extremely aware of her watching him, her dulled blue eyes curious and searching, and for some reason it was making him slightly nervous. When he was satisfied that the bleeding had stopped, he lowered his hand and offered her a vague smile.

Her eyes stayed on him, a slight crease formed in her brow. Unable to avoid her stare any longer, he met her gaze and blinked. Her hair was in a messy bun, with a few green locks falling freely around her pale face. His hand reached to brush a piece of her fringe out of her eyes, and they widened a bit as he did.

'S-sorry,' His arm fell and he looked away. He started to stand up to leave when he felt a small arm loop through his, pulling him back.

'Thank you, Dei,' She whispered, peeking up at him through her hair and giving him a soft smile.

A faint rosy glow began to creep up his cheeks upon hearing the nickname, and he dipped his head, covering most of his face with a blonde curtain. A smile crossed his lips as he let her lean against his shoulder, their arms still intertwined.

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading! R&R please! :D x


	13. Training

**A/N: **I'm back again with yet another update!

For those of you who have already read the last chapter, I updated it this morning but only slightly at the end, when she thanks Deidara.

Thanks for reading so far! Keep your reviews coming and thanks to everyone who has :D

Enjoy :) x

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Akira wasn't sure whether there was just a considerable lack of missions being assigned or if the Akatsuki were just on edge about leaving the base unguarded, especially after their recent unwanted guest.

Whatever the reason, she was relieved to find that she was rarely left on her own in the following few days. Zetsu crossed her mind once or twice as she wondered where he always disappeared to, but after briefly considering asking someone about it, she decided it was probably something she didn't want or need to know. She was just being nosy.

Tobi and Konan remained as her main companions, but she had picked up on the fact that more often than not the living room was now populated with at least two of the others.

_They probably have nothing better to do than making sexist jokes at me while I'm cleaning_, she mused as she scrubbed the rickety wooden table that the TV was precariously balanced on. Hidan was clearly thoroughly enjoying her irritation as she went over the moulding surface again.

'Hey Greeny, I think you missed a spot there,' His fuchsia eyes glinted with amusement as she shot him a glare.

'Why don't you come and give it a scrub then, Snow White!'

From the corner, Kakuzu chuckled at her dig at Hidan's white-grey hair, looking up from counting his money. 'That'd be the day…'

Hidan growled at them, annoyed that the joke had turned on him. 'Don't make me fucking come over there–'

He was cut off as the rag Akira had been cleaning with, damp and thick with dust, slapped into his open mouth. Akira burst out laughing at her perfect timing and made a dash for her room, before Hidan could recover from the shock.

'AKIRA! GET BACK HERE YOU FUCKIN' CRAZY BITCH!'

She raced down the hall and ran face-first into Deidara's chest, slightly winding him in the process.

'What the hell…' Before he could register what was going on, she took off again shouting an apology back to him. He shook his head, confused, before turning around to see Hidan charging straight at him.

Of course, they collided. Hidan didn't exactly excel in coordination at the best of times, least of all during one of his rages. Luckily for Akira, this was just enough to distract him from his previous goal of murdering her, and she dived into Tobi's room before anyone had noticed.

The teenager had been sprawled across his bed, but jumped up when his door was flung open and then slammed tightly shut.

'Akira-chan?'

'Sorry Tobi! I almost got caught in the tornado out there!'

He laughed, knowing exactly who she meant. A tornado was the best description anyone could give the grey-haired male in these cases, wild and uncontrollable.

Tobi's room was the smallest in the base, seeing as he was the last to join and therefore didn't have much choice. However, Pein had allowed him to have a small TV in his room as compensation, and also because he hadn't shut up about it since he'd arrived.

'What were you up to anyway?' Akira questioned as she flopped onto the duvet next to him and reached for the remote, flicking it on.

'Just waiting for something to happen,' Tobi sighed, clearly bored out of his mind.

'Still no missions, huh?'

'Nope. Not a single thing.'

She pursed her lips and thought for a moment before she sprung up from her seat. 'Hey, why don't you help me practice my taijutsu some more? It'll keep us busy for a while?' She grinned as Tobi agreed eagerly. They made sure to check the halls before they left just in case Hidan was still on the prowl.

When they reached the grassy training ring, they were surprised to find it already occupied.

'You hiding from Hidan too now?' Akira smirked at the blonde Akatsuki, who was mauling with a ball of clay in the corner.

'No thanks to you, yeah…' He shot back. 'I'm surprised you ventured out this soon,'

'Well I have Tobi to protect me!' The teen grinned behind his mask at his friend and nodded his confirmation.

'That's a good one… So why are you here, yeah?'

The pair took up their battle stances either side of the ring and Akira flashed him a grin. 'We're training, of course!'

With that, they leapt into action. Deidara watched amused at first, but after a few minutes he realised that Tobi hadn't actually landed a single hit on his sparring partner. He frowned and cocked his head to the side, lifting his fringe out of his left eye for a better view.

Akira kicked her leg to the side and Tobi darted away from it, just out of range. He shifted his foot backwards and pushed off the ground into the air, his palm open and filled with chakra as he landed behind her and spun on his heel. She crossed her arms across her face and blocked it neatly, jumping backwards to avoid his leg sweeping her clean off her feet.

_How long have they been practicing like this?_ Deidara thought back to their journey to the Hidden Waterfall village. To put it plainly, she had been hopeless. But as he watched the pair as they danced on the grass, weaving in and out of step with each other at an impressive speed, he almost doubted it was the same girl.

'Time out, time out!' Akira panted, narrowly avoiding a full frontal punch from her partner.

'Oops! Sorry Akira-chan,' He skipped over to the benches at the side of the ring and tossed her a bottle of water he had brought. She glugged it greedily.

'Woah, woah, woah. Hang on a minute, yeah,'

They both looked over to the advancing blonde. He stopped in front of Akira and folded his arms. 'What the hell was that?'

She frowned. 'You might have to expand on that one, Deidara…'

'You know what I mean, yeah! Since when did you fight like that?'

'I'm not sure whether to be offended or pleased by that comment!' She beamed at him, obviously pleased.

'Tobi has been helping Akira-chan practice her taijutsu, Senpai!'

'Hmm… Apparently…' He muttered, glancing at her shoulder. 'Are you sure you should be fighting like that in your condition?'

She rolled her eyes and waved him off with her hand. 'I'm fine! Kakuzu said I'm all healed now, so I can practice as much as I want!'

The trio headed back toward into the base, figuring that Hidan would have probably calmed down by now. They were greeted by Konan, who informed them that Pein finally had a mission for Deidara and Tobi. Their eyes lit up and they scurried off towards his office, clearly excited by the news.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Konan turned to Akira. 'And he has a mission for us too!' She chuckled at her bewildered expression, which soon turned to suspicion.

'What kind of mission?'

'Don't worry, it's just gathering information,' She tucked a stray lock of lilac hair behind her ear and smiled.

'Why me? What information?'

Laughing again, Konan patted her on the head teasingly. 'Patience Akira… All shall soon be revealed!'

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**A/N:** Thanks again, please R&R! :) x


	14. Hidden Rain Village

**A/N:** This damn story won't get out of my head, which means lucky for you I've been typing away all week!

Hope you're liking the plot so far :D

Also, to make up for the lack of fluff in this chapter, I'll put extras in the next few :)

Enjoy! x

* * *

Trundling into the office with Konan in tow, Akira's stomach bubbled with a mixture of excitement and nerves.

Pein didn't waste any time, and set about giving them the mission briefing immediately, although, from the looks of it Konan already knew most of it.

'It's a simple mission of gathering information. You'll both be heading out to the Hidden Rain Village, which isn't too far from here.'

'It's about half a day's walk,' Konan confirmed, more to Akira than Pein.

'Exactly, it should take you no more than three days. The information you will be gathering is in relation to Orochimaru's recent… Visit, should we say. We received an anonymous tip-off about his whereabouts not too long ago and I feel that now is the time to act upon it, but be wary, it could very easily be a trap.' His concern was obviously expressed for the purple-haired group member, and Akira suppressed a smile at his disguised affection.

'If the ten tails really is what he is after then we should waste no time inputting an end to his antics.' He finished.

'Erm, what exactly is the ten tails?' Curiosity got the better of her and the question slipped out before she could stop it.

'I'll explain on the way,' Konan interjected before Pein could shoot her down. She glanced back up at the leader and added, 'She needs to know, Pein…'

'Hmm. Very well, you leave in 10 minutes.' He turned back to his desk and began skimming what looked like a bingo book.

*************** Later that day ***************

'We're almost there. Here, put this on,' Konan handed her a dark-red cloak and she flipped it over her shoulders, covering most of her usual plain black ninja attire. She had not yet been granted the privilege of an official Akatsuki cloak, but Akira figured it didn't matter anyway as she wasn't usually sent out on missions.

Konan swapped her own cloak for one to match Akira's, and mumbled something about the colour looking terrible against her hair.

As the village gates appeared in the near-distance, Akira swallowed her nerves and tried to keep a casual expression.

'Just relax, all we're doing is checking into an inn for a couple of nights and then we'll be on our way again. Nothing to it,' Her companion smiled and led the way.

'Konan? Why did Pein choose me for this mission?'

'Well for starters, I asked for you to accompany me. It's not good for you being cooped up in there with only the boys for company, they'll drive you up the wall!' She laughed. 'And also because Orochimaru said that maybe _you_ could help him. Pein knows your safe with me but we thought that if there was a trap, you'd be the perfect bait.'

'Gee thanks…' She deadpanned, feeling even worse than before. 'But I guess it makes sense. So… About the ten tails?'

'Hmm. Have you heard of the nine tailed beasts, bound and contained within human prisons, the Jinchuuriki?'

'Yeah I have actually, my adoptive parents used to tell me about them when I was younger,'

'Well basically, the ten tails is what Akatsuki's ultimate goal is working towards. It's a combination of all nine tailed beast's chakra, fused into the ten tails husk, which was originally just an empty shell,' She explained very matter-of-factly.

'But what is it for? I heard it's nearly impossible to control even one tailed beast without it's Jinchuuriki.'

'Yes that's true, but this one is different. It's a summons creature, so it can be controlled, though it's location can never really be pinpointed. We plan to harness it's power, and essentially take control of the world…'

Akira's eyes widened in horror and Konan spoke up again quickly before she could respond.

'It's not what you think though! If there is only one leader in the world, there will be no more need for war or fighting and there will be no conflict! Only world peace…' She trailed off as they entered the village, and Akira lost herself in thought.

Konan booked them into the first hotel they came across. They stayed there just long enough to dump their bags in their rooms and change into casual eveningwear. Akira slipped into calf-length white leggings with a plain sky-blue dress that ended just above her knees.

They met downstairs a few minutes later, and headed to a bar that Pein had advised them about checking out. They took a corner table with a good view of the rest of the room, and ordered two white wine spritzers. Konan's eyes darted hastily from person to person, giving the scene a quick once over before turning back to Akira grinning.

'So what do we do now?'

'We blend in,' Konan sipped her drink daintily and Akira was suddenly very grateful that she hadn't been sent on this mission with someone like Itachi. Not that she didn't like the strange-eyed man, he just wasn't exactly the talkative type and in this situation it could have been very awkward.

As the hours ticked by, Konan finally sighed and decided to call it a night, finishing her drink and standing up. Akira was about to copy her companion when there was suddenly a loud commotion in the direction of the bar.

There were two men by the bar, one very obviously drunk and swaying, clutching a stool in front of him for balance. The other seemed almost completely sober, shouting angrily at the bartender.

'You know who the hell I mean. I demand to see him right this second!'

'I'm very sorry, sir, but I really can't allow that!' He held his hands up to calm the fuming male. 'Please believe me, sir, he isn't in the mood to be seen today!'

'That's the same excuse as last time! That coward thinks he can hide away like the ignorant snake he is!'

Their ears pricked up at this, and Konan gently slid back into her seat, listening intently.

'But it's the truth, sir! It wouldn't benefit anyone for you to see him like this! He just isn't feeling up to it.'

'Well you jufst tell that basssstard…' The intoxicated man began, slurring and tripping over his words. 'He ain't gonfa be gerting anyfing more out of myne men!'

Craning her neck and straining to understand his fumbled language, Akira suddenly had an idea. As the men were leaving, still shouting their abusive words back to the quivering bartender, she stood up and strolled over.

Leaning on the bar, she ordered two more drinks for the pair, fluttering her eyelashes as she did so. 'Seems like you have your hands full tonight, huh?' She flashed the older man a smile and he took the bait.

'Don't you worry yourself, missy. They won't be back for another week or so. Been asking to see the boss like this now for three months!'

'And poor you have to take the brunt of it,' She cringed inwardly at her ridiculous attempt at flirting, but the man seemed to be enjoying it.

'Aye, it's the life I chose I'm afraid!'

'Why won't he agree to seeing them?' She hoped she hadn't pushed too far.

He thought for a moment and then leaned forward, beckoning her to do the same. 'Well, I probably shouldn't tell you this, but what's a pretty girl like you gonna do, hmm?' He grinned and she bit back her disgust, forcing herself to smile back. 'Truth is, the boss isn't really feeling himself these days. He's in what you might call a transition.'

Her eyes widened slightly but she continued her flirtatious act, flicking her hair over her shoulder. 'Transition? Hmm, sounds very dangerous… You must be very brave to face him then.'

He laughed at this and stuck his nose in the air, looking down at her as he spoke again. 'You don't know the half of it, little miss. Especially with him being so vulnerable at this time, makes him all the more _dangerous_,' He purred the last word into her ear and she decided hastily that she could take no more of this.

She gave him an innocent smile and asked him how much she owed him.

'Have them on me, missy,' he winked. Thanking him, she retreated to take her seat at the table again. Konan was smirking, and Akira got the sinking feeling that she'd heard everything.

'Poor guy didn't know what hit him,' she sniggered, earning a embarrassed glare from her partner.

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading! Please R&R :D x


	15. Jealousy

**A/N:** Thank you for hanging in there, fluff ahead!

Please be nice, it's my first scene like this, please do tell me if it sucks though...

Enjoy :D x

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Other than Akira's performance in the bar that night, there wasn't much else to report. Pein had seemed quite pleased about how smoothly their mission had gone, even if that was all the information they had managed to gather. For some reason, his eyes had flashed a hint of recognition when she had mentioned Orochimaru's 'transition'.

Now back safely inside the confines of the Akatsuki base, Akira wondered absently what she should do with herself. She had missed dinner, and as she entered the kitchen, she braced herself for the inevitable mess. In actual fact, the site that greeted her was much different to what she had imagined.

From their positions around the new, _metal_ dining table, six irritated pairs of eyes were glaring in her direction. She stared back, stunned and confused.

'Erm… What are you guys still doing here…?' It slowly dawned on her that she had interrupted them mid-argument, and Hidan stood up angrily, scraping his chair across the floor as he did so.

'What does it fucking look like?! We're bloody starving here!'

She glanced at the clock above the sink. 'Please don't tell me you've all been sat here for almost two hours…'

Itachi tutted. His eyes were jet black and narrowed, glaring impatiently. 'Nevermind that… Now that you're back are you thinking of cooking anytime soon?'

'Alright already! Geez, anyone would think you hadn't eaten at all for the last three days…' As if on queue, Tobi's stomach growled conspicuously, and Akira stared at them in disbelief. 'You… _have_ eaten, right?'

It was Kakuzu's turn to comment. 'Of course we've flippin' eaten.'

'But let's just say that two hours isn't exactly the longest time we've sat here fighting over who's turn it is, yeah…' The blonde rubbed the back of his neck foolishly and Kisame growled an accusing response, claiming that it definitely _had_ been Deidara's turn yesterday and _not_ his.

Fighting back the urge to laugh at the idiots that called themselves S-rank criminals, she set about making three large omelettes, enough to feed the six of them and grabbing a small snack for herself.

They scoffed greedily, and Konan stalked in just in time to see the beginnings of a scuffle over who could have the leftovers.

'We turn our backs for five minutes…' She muttered, rolling her amber eyes and leaning on the counter next to her previous mission partner. 'Pein was very impressed at your little act during our mission, you know. Says you have a good potential as a possible spy,' she winked at Akira, who blushed slightly at the praise.

'What act, yeah?' Deidara piped up after deciding that the scraps weren't worth his life. Hidan had taken it upon himself to turn the little ordeal into a death match, unsurprisingly.

Konan smirked at him. 'Oh, you know. The usual… Sneaking around, blending in, flirting with the bartender…'

Akira's blush reddened. '_Konan_!' She hissed.

'He wasn't bad-looking either to be honest, and he was definitely into you, Akira, don't deny it!' The blue-haired woman chuckled satisfactorily as she watched the blonde's expression turn sour. A few of the other member's had also paused to listen, only making her game all the more fun.

'Why were you flirting with the bartender, Akira-chan?' Tobi asked innocently.

'He was about fifty, Konan! And I wasn't… Well, I mean I was… But I had a good reason!' She snapped her mouth shut in grim realisation that she was just making this bad situation much worse.

Deidara raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the red-faced, green-haired girl. 'You flirted with a fifty year old bartender… Weren't you just on a scouting mission? What were you doing in a bar anyway?' He folded his arms across his chest and huffed.

'My, my, Deidara. Jealousy really doesn't suit you!' Kakuzu sneered from the doorway. He had given up and allowed Hidan to proceed in stuffing the last of the food into his mouth.

'It's not that, yeah! I just don't think that she should be getting sidetracked on a mission. Just because she's a pretty girl she shouldn't be allowed to get away with–'

'Oh so you think she's pretty, huh?' Konan cut in, clearly thoroughly enjoying herself. Akira prayed silently that the floor would just open and swallow her up, anything to escape this embarrassment.

'No I do not!' He fumed, turning on his heel and storming out.

It was quiet in the room for a moment, but Konan's smug expression never left her face. Finally, someone spoke.

'So… Why were you flirting with him?' Itachi cocked his head to the side, seeming genuinely curious.

'It isn't what you think… I was tricking information out of him!' Her head hung shamefully and she caught Hidan's eyes glint with amusement. Before he could make his contribution, she made a dash for the exit, despite how _pleasant_ he would have undoubtedly been…

She headed for the training ring, figuring that the others would probably be too worn out by now to bother going there themselves, unaware that a certain blonde Akatsuki member had also used her logic.

He watched her from his seat in the far corner as she settled herself onto one of the benches, oblivious to his presence. After a moment of debate, he stood up, unintentionally startling her.

'D-deidara!' _Crap, of all people to be here…_

'I got here first, yeah,' He stated blandly, reading her uncomfortable expression.

'S-sorry…' She made a move to leave, but he blocked her path.

'You don't have to go…' he said in a small voice, staring at his feet. She hesitated but then sat back down, watching him cautiously as she felt her cheeks start to heat up again.

'I was only trying–'

'I didn't mean what–'

They both stopped awkwardly. Sighing, Deidara sat down next to her and allowed her to go first.

'Umm, well, on the mission… I was only trying to get information out of him… I wasn't just getting sidetracked, I swear!'

He laughed once and without humour, but he seemed to believe her.

'Your turn…' She encouraged him when he didn't reply.

'I was just gonna say, erm… About what I said… You know, that I didn't think you were… Well, I didn't mean it, yeah.' He risked a glance in her direction. Her lips were parted in a small 'o' shape and her sapphire eyes only distracted him further as he stumbled over his words. 'I mean, I don't think you're ugly or anything–'

Suddenly her lips were on his silencing him, and he froze completely caught off-guard. They were gone as quickly as they had come, a shy smile playing across her mouth, their faces still inches apart.

Blinking out of his trance, his stomach lurched and he leaned forward, closing the gap and returning her kiss. She responded automatically, her heart jittering as his fingers brushed tenderly over her cheek. He other hand lifted to tangle in her loose green hair, pulling her closer as the kiss deepened. Something stirred behind them and they sprung apart, startled.

It was just as well that they had, as it was none other than the ever-amused female Akatsuki, Konan. Lucky for them, all she had seen was them break apart suddenly, although Konan being Konan, she soon had several theories twirling in that pretty head of hers.

'I just came to find you, Akira. Tobi's in the living room pestering Kisame, you might want to go and save him from certain death…' She eyed the blonde suspiciously.

'I-I was just leaving, yeah,' He practically ran from the amber gaze, retreating into the base and heading for his room.

Akira didn't know quite what had happened back there, in all honesty she had surprised herself. What she did know was that things were going to get pretty awkward if the likes of Hidan found out about their little affair. She gulped at the thought, and hurried to follow her lilac-haired friend.

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**A/N: **Thanks for reading! Please R&R! :D x


	16. Passion Blooms

**A/N:** Much more fluff on the way!

Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I've been reading fanfictions... Ironically!

I hope you enjoy this one :)

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Retreating into the safety of his room, the blonde slammed the solid wooden door behind him, a little harder than he had intended. Leaning back against the timber, his fingers skimmed his mouth, almost disbelievingly, replaying the scene in his mind again as if trying to convince himself that it all really had happened.

_Damn, that Konan…_ He thought bitterly. He fought back the urge to march right back out there to find the green-haired girl and demand to know what that was all about. _Tomorrow night. I'll ask her tomorrow… After dinner._ He sighed and flopped onto the bed, snatching a ball of clay out of his ninja pouch as he did so and began to mould it between his fingers.

The next day's dinner came and went, sooner than he had hoped, and as the Akatsuki members filed out of the room one by one, he found himself left alone in the kitchen with Akira. His eyes scanned the room quickly and he stretched his hearing into the neighbouring corridors.

Deciding the coast was clear, he opened his mouth to speak and turned back to face two piercing blue eyes jabbing into his soul from across the table.

Suddenly unable to form words, Akira laughed nervously and spoke for him. 'I guess you're probably wondering what that was all about last night, huh?'

He frowned slightly and nodded.

She pursed her lips and looked up at the ceiling. She wasn't sure herself. All she knew was that when she was there, and in that moment, it had felt like the right thing to do.

After a few minutes of thinking, she sighed. 'I don't really know… I guess it just seemed right at the time,'

Shifting awkwardly, she risked a glance at his face. He was watching her with an unreadable expression and it was making her feel uncomfortable. He tilted his head slightly and blinked, completely lost for words.

Akira moved to sit beside him, internally willing him to say something, anything, to break this horrendous silence. His eyes followed her as she crossed the room and slowly shrunk into the chair next to him.

'I'm sorry,' She spoke, her voice barely a whisper. He had not expected her to apologise, nor had he wanted her to. Hiding her eyes behind a short curtain of teal hair, she fought back a small tear that was threatening to spill over her cheek.

'You don't have to apologise, yeah.' His sudden voice made her jump and she dared herself to peer up at him. 'I… I don't regret what you did…' He started slowly. 'It just surprised me, that's all, yeah.'

He reached over to brush her fringe to the side gently, revealing her startlingly blue eyes and his lips turned at the corners into a reassuring smile.

It took a minute for her to register what he'd said. And she swallowed hard, but before she could respond, he pressed his lips softly against hers, making her tense at the contact. Her eyes slipped closed as she allowed herself to relax, his tongue dancing against her mouth. She parted her lips granting him entrance, and wound her fingers into his golden hair.

He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss while his free hand lightly caressed one of her reddening cheeks. After a few minutes he pulled back panting slightly, and blue met blue in a blazing and passionate stare.

Deidara was the first to move, leaning his forehead against hers and making her shiver as the cold metal of his forehead protector landed on her skin.

'Sorry, yeah,' His warm breath blew against her lower face as he spoke, and she grinned.

'You don't have to apologise…' She snuggled into his chest, burying her face into his shoulder and grasping a handful of the trademark Akatsuki cloak. She felt him chuckle slightly and he shifted them so that she was sitting in his lap.

Suddenly, something loud shattered against the hard floor in the doorway, making them both flinch violently at the startling noise.

Akira's eyes widened and a low growl rose from Deidara's throat threateningly. The noise had been a glass smashing on the floor and its owner had unfortunately been a certain silver-haired loudmouth.

Hidan was staring disbelievingly at the pair, but it didn't take long for a mischievous glint to spark in his eyes and a nasty-looking smirk cross his mouth. 'Just wait till the others fucking hear about _this_!'

*************** Later that night ***************

Akira slumped against the stone corridor wall, panting and gasping for breath. Deidara mirrored her action from the opposite wall as they surrendered their hopeless chase. Hidan, now free from his pursuers, skipped gleefully back down the hall towards the living room in search of the few members who would join in his fun of tormenting them.

'That damn fool…' The blonde hissed in between breaths.

'I guess they'd find out sooner or later,' Akira muttered, finding Hidan's childish escape somewhat amusing, despite their situation.

'Nothing we can do about it now. Once that jerk gets something in his head, he won't let it go 'til it kills him, which, ironically can't be done, yeah.'

Her ears pricked up at this. 'You mean, he can't be killed? What is he, like a Zombie or something?'

He laughed. 'I guess you could say that, yeah. He is immortal… Unfortunately.' Deidara helped her to stand and they began making their way to their rooms.

'Oh hey, I almost forgot,' the blonde paused and fished in his pocket, retrieving something small and white. He offered it on his palm to Akira who, on further inspection, realised the item was a miniature clay rose. 'I made it last night after… erm, you know. I didn't really know what it was going to be until I finished, but I think it turned out alright.'

He rubbed the back of his head and grinned when she took it from him. Each section had been delicately moulded and crafted into a charming array of rose petals.

'It's beautiful! I love it,' Her eyes lit up and the dimly flickering candlelight in the hallway danced across her iris's, illuminating their striking colour.

A heated blush snuck up his neck and he turned away before it could reach his face. 'Yeah, umm, I thought you might…'

He hadn't noticed before, but just below her left eye was the tiniest snippet of a faded pink scar. She spotted him eyeing her cheek and her lifted her fingers to trace the narrow line. 'It's not easy living on your own for four years with no where to go…' She threw him a quick smile.

He found himself noticing a lot of things that he hadn't before, like the way her hair was a slightly darker shade at the tips, and that she had painted her neatly trimmed fingernails a deep shade of blue to match that of the Akatsuki's. He smiled at that.

His hand reached for hers and their fingers weaved together.

Just as they were about to round another corner, Konan came rushing up from behind them. 'Hey, Deidara! Akira! Wait up!'

Deidara groaned and glanced over his shoulder, debating whether or not to make a run for it. Akira giggled at his exasperated face and tugged his hand playfully. 'She'll find us eventually!'

But as she drew nearer, the blonde's eyes narrowed as he noticed the serious expression on the blue-haired woman's face.

'Konan, what's wrong?' Akira frowned, feeling a pang of worry flicker in the pit of her stomach.

'Pein wants to see you both immediately for a mission. Kisame and Itachi just got back from their assignment… They've found Orochimaru's hideout.'

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading! Please R&R :D x


	17. Hideout

**A/N:** So I was reading another fanfiction earlier, and the main character mentioned her mothers name was Akira.

Which means... My OC had a daughter without my knowledge! :O

It amused me... :')

Anyway! Enjoy :D x

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Pein's briefing was one of he most detailed Akira had ever heard him dispatch. It was also the largest squad he had ever sent out on what should be a simple a mission, but, from what she had been told about this mysterious serpent criminal, it would be far from it. The members included herself and Deidara, Itachi, Kisame and Tobi – much to Deidara's annoyance.

Their plan was very well thought out, Deidara and Tobi would be setting up highly explosive bombs beneath the ground and in the walls, while Itachi and Kisame silenced anyone who got in their way. Akira's role was the easiest. Keep watch on the hideout, and if anyone managed to escape, paralyse them.

Pein's eyes narrowed as he gave them the location. 'You're heading to the border separating the Hidden Rain village and the Land of Fire. All this time it's been right under our noses…' He scowled at his desk before glancing back up at the makeshift team. 'The hideout entrance resembles that of a cave, but be wary as there will undoubtedly be a few scouts guarding and patrolling the area. We could do without losing some of our best ninja to a mere lookout.'

He leaned forward and rubbed his temples, feeling an oncoming migraine and really not looking forward to explaining to Hidan why he wasn't chosen for this mission. He wasn't exactly the most discrete Akatsuki member.

As the five began to exit the room, Pein spoke up again.

'There is one more thing.' They glanced back and their leader paused, his lips twisting into a smirk. 'Don't die.'

Akira couldn't help but notice how his vision had zeroed in on her as he spoke his final piece of advice.

She sighed and followed the group out into the corridor. She walked quietly next to Tobi as they headed to their bedrooms to gather their equipment.

She was just about to open her door when the teenager suddenly spoke up. 'Don't worry, Akira-chan. We won't be letting any of those bad guys even try to escape!' He grinned childishly from behind his mask, one dark eye conveying his reassuring expression through his eyehole.

She hadn't realised how tense she had been until he had broke her out of her thoughts. It surprised her that Tobi had been so observing, but she smiled back all the same.

'I'm sure you won't,' She hoped she had appeared more convincing than she sounded. The truth was, the thought of possibly having to face such a vile, sadistic creature again terrified her, but she wasn't about to let her emotions get the better of her.

_This will be the last we see of him…Just get this over with and he'll be gone. _She shook her head and stuffed a few kunai in her ninja pouch, just in case. After triple checking her beloved whistle was present and easily accessible in her pocket, she trotted off towards the exit to meet the others.

Pein had left Itachi in charge of this mission, seeing as he had the most experience with Orochimaru out of the five.

'The journey should only take a few hours, but I'd like us to move as quickly as possible seeing as we have lost the daylight and now have a considerable disadvantage. Be aware of your surroundings and keep your chakra masked as low as possible.' She listened carefully to Itachi's words and it briefly crossed her mind that this was the most she'd ever heard him say. 'As for transport… Deidara.'

He flicked his red eyes to the blonde who was tapping his foot and glaring impatiently at the Uchiha. 'Yeah, yeah, I get it. Fast way to travel, safer in the sky… Whatever, yeah.' Already prepared, he tossed three small birds from his palms and made a quick hand sign.

Itachi and Kisame leapt up onto the first two, and Akira glanced at Deidara who was smirking at an oblivious-looking Tobi. She frowned and slapped his arm disapprovingly, nodding her head to the orange-masked teen behind them. Rolling his eyes and huffing, he quickly made another, smaller bird for Tobi to ride on, and he jumped up onto the larger.

She considered getting onto the smaller bird with Tobi, just to make a point, but on second thoughts, she decided that Deidara's chakra control of the bird would probably mean his was the safer option. She wrapped her arms around his waist and braced herself for take-off.

As they lifted into the air, she felt him snicker at her tightening grasp on his cloak.

'What's so funny?' She snapped, still a little annoyed about his potentially mean joke on Tobi.

'Nothing, yeah. Geez, what's rattled your cage?' He 'tsk'ed at her and the bird began to pick up speed. After a while he sighed and glanced over his shoulder. 'Just try and relax, I won't let you fall, yeah. Besides you're starting to crush me here…'

She swallowed hard and relaxed her grip on his waist. She let out a breath she had been holding and shuffled in a failing attempt to sit more comfortably. They continued to sail just below the cloud line, until eventually their destination came into sight.

'Akira-chan!' Tobi called from across the wind, a mixture of excitement and anticipation filled his tone. 'Can you see them? Itachi Sempai and Kisame Senpai! Just down there!'

'Shut up, idiot! Do you want the whole world to know we're here, yeah?' Deidara hissed, just loud enough for the teenager to make out his words. He clamped a hand over his mask in the location that his mouth was hidden beneath it.

'Sorry, Senpai!' He mouthed silently to the irritated blonde, who had already looked away. They swooped down and landed swiftly, and Akira all too eagerly leapt to the ground from the giant clay construct.

Itachi had already activated his Sharingan and was apparently scanning the surrounding terrain for enemy chakra. Once he was satisfied he had covered everywhere, he turned to Kisame and nodded once.

The blue man smirked, adrenaline beginning to pump violently through his veins as he placed one large hand on his bandaged sword resting on his back. He was ready for this.

'Are we good to go, yeah?' Although Deidara's tone was hushed, Akira could tell by his wild expression that he too was more than ready.

'Not yet, there are two on guard at the entrance of the hideout. We need to get a better position in order to take them out. We're doing this fast, and we're doing it silent.' The raven haired man was looking Deidara, but they all knew he was talking to Tobi.

Their movements were unnoticeably quiet as they made their way to the left of the hideout and, once assembled in the nearby foliage, blood red eyes flared into action.

The two guards sank to the ground like a rock in water, and Akira involuntarily shuddered at the deadly power of her comrade's Kekkei Genkai.

Itachi shot her an uncharacteristic smirk that was gone as quickly as it came. She blinked and stared at him, trying to figure out whether or not she had imagined it.

Before she had settled on a decision, the team moved off again, their cat-like footsteps treading the soft grass. Akira watched as Itachi and Kisame disappeared into the mouth of the cave, with Deidara and Tobi following silently.

'Wait!' She whispered as she rushed forward and flung herself at the startled blonde. 'Be careful,' She nuzzled her head into his neck and his arms enclosed around her. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead and smiled against her skin.

'I will be, yeah,' He mumbled before turning and allowing the blackness to consume him. Tobi started to follow him but Akira caught his hand.

'Hey, you too!' She smiled gently at him and he jerked his free hand to his head, saluting her.

'Yes, ma'am!'

She released him and returned to her position on a nearby branch. Her heart was pounding so harshly against her chest that she was sure someone would hear it. She clutched her whistle in her now-sweaty palm and began to concentrate on keeping her breathing steady.

All that was left for her to do now, was wait.

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**A/N:** Sad to say this is the beginning of the end my fellow readers!

Another 2 or 3 to come I'd say.

Please R&R :) x


	18. Taken

**A/n:** I actually like how this story is going at the moment. I hadn't really planned this chapter it just sort of came to me as I typed.

Let me know what you think! :D

Enjoy x

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The hideout was eerily quiet, and Deidara had to suppress a shiver as a chilling draft hissed through the pitch-black corridors. He was used to the dimly lit hallways of the Akatsuki base with only a faint flicker of candlelight for company, but this was something else. They were, however, pleasantly surprised to find what felt like hardened mud and earth beneath their feet, which would make Tobi's job much easier.

The blonde listened carefully to Itachi and Kisame's barely audible footsteps and paused just behind them as they ceased.

'We begin here.' The Uchiha's words echoed slightly, despite his best efforts. Tobi set about digging his way beneath the ground as Deidara's palms worked on the small yet incredibly destructive centipede bombs.

They wound their way into the underground tunnels, scurrying silently to line the hideout floor. So far, they had not seen or heard anything to suggest there was any life in this abysmal place other than themselves and their own hushed breathing.

A stronger, more disturbing breeze rustled through their cloaks and Itachi narrowed his piercing crimson irises as he locked onto a faint blue figure illuminated by his Sharingan.

Kisame spoke first, sensing the change in atmosphere and balling his fists. He spread his feet apart into a threatening battle stance and reached a hand over his should for his weapon. 'He's here.'

'Deidara, continue your task. We'll cover you,' Itachi kept his voice low and calm, but Deidara didn't complain. He knew better than to disobey orders in a situation such as this.

'So nice of you to return the visit, Akatsuki…' A cold, unwelcoming voice snaked its way to their ears. 'I wonder, just what did your little plan contain, hmm? Detonating play-doh insect bombs, leave no survivors and all that jazz? Then you'll just run off home to that pathetic excuse for a leader, reporting to him like the good little minions you are… Correct?'

Orochimaru's icy voice ricocheted off the walls, slowing Deidara's actions as he tried to decide where it was coming from before it continued. 'I'm not quite sure what the purpose of bringing your pretty little maid along with you is though…'

His smirk was evident in his tone, and the blonde gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to run right back outside to check on her.

Suddenly, he hissed directly next to Deidara's ear. 'Oh don't worry, I can assure you my men will take very good care of her!'

Itachi was there in a heartbeat, and he slashed at the snake causing a loud ring to slice through the atmosphere. He drew blood, a small red line forming on sickly-white, pale skin.

Something smooth slithered around Kisame's leg and he fell to the floor with a surprised huff. The serpent's hold on his ankle tightened and the shark man wasted no time in slamming his powerful sword down into it's winding body, killing it instantly.

'Damn snakes…' He cussed under his breath and leapt to his feet, his small eyes wide as they searched the blackness in vain. 'Itachi?'

'Leave him to me.' Two sets of footsteps, hot on each other's tails bolted down the corridor.

'Kisame! Get Akira!' Deidara yelled, desperately moulding his clay as fast as his fingers could manage. All attempts at staying discrete forgotten, Kisame charged away from him towards the exit.

From beneath the ground, Tobi, who had been holding his breath almost entirely through the whole ordeal, continued silently planting his partner's insects, unnoticed.

*************** Meanwhile ***************

They had been gone almost an hour, and Akira found herself anxiously pacing the branch she was balancing on. If something had gone wrong, she would have heard something surely. She crouched down leaning her side against the trunk. Her lack of sleep the past few nights was also beginning to catch up on her, and she blinked fast in a desperate attempt to keep her stinging eyes open as the morning sun began to rise.

A few more minutes passed and she started to wonder whether she should go in after them, just in case. _What if they're in trouble, and I'm just sitting out here, waiting?_ A small worry line creased her brow as she fought vigorously with her conscience.

Deciding it couldn't hurt to do a quick check inside the entrance, she hopped out of the tree and landed as quietly as she could.

Suddenly, a single twig snapped from behind her, and she whirled around to meet a pair of familiar red eyes staring back at her, inches from her face.

She visibly relaxed, slumping her shoulders. 'Itachi, you scared me…'

'I'm not Itachi.'

From there, everything went black.

*************** A few minutes later ***************

'Akira!' Daylight blinded his readjusting eyes, and Kisame skidded to a halt below the tree where they had left her. He squinted up at the empty branches. 'Akira, it's me, Kisame. Where are you?'

'She can't hear you, I'm afraid.'

He spun around to face the stranger, and his blood ran cold as recognition dawned upon him.

'You…' He spat. 'Where is she? What've you done to her?'

The raven-haired man stared blankly at the shark, ignoring his question. 'I hear Itachi is with you.'

'Listen, brat. If you don't tell me where the hell she is–'

'Then you'll what? Kill me? If you could kill me, you would never find her. Tell me where to find Itachi and I will personally take you to her,' His expression remained unchanging, and a deep, infuriated growl rumbled from Kisame's throat.

When he didn't reply, the stranger spoke again. 'Or, I could just force it out of you and leave her to die.'

Before Kisame could blink, the man was behind him pressing a kunai against his neck.

'You think I'll be killed that easily, kid? When you're partnered with Itachi for so many years, you pick up a few things against him,' His skin began to melt away, a drooped to the floor in a small pool of liquid.

'Tsk, substitution, huh?' His eyes flashed to the dark cave entrance as heavy footsteps could be heard retreating into the darkness.

Kisame tore through the long hallways, he had to find Itachi and warn him that _he_ was here. They'd had their previous suspicions, but they hadn't even _dreamed_ that he would really have showed up. _How could we have been so stupid?_ He snarled to himself as he ran, accidentally tackling Deidara to the floor in the lack of light.

'What the hell, yeah!'

'Don't stand in the middle of the damn hall, idiot!' Kisame shook his head, refocusing. 'Nevermind that, we have to find Itachi. Sasuke is here, and he's taken Akira.'

* * *

**A/N:** Cliffhanger! Oh I'm cruel. Please R&R! :D x


	19. Realisation

**A/N:** Okay there wasn't much point in the last chapter being a cliffhanger since I updated again like, 2 hours later...

Please don't hate me for this chapter! It's not the last one yet, but it's nearly over.

Enjoy... If you can :D x

* * *

Her head throbbed, and she screwed her eyes up as she began to regain her vision. She was in a tiny square room, clear of furniture. She silently thanked god that although it was faint, there was light in here. Her hand lifted to touch her forehead but jerked to an abrupt halt before she could reach it. She blinked, confused and looked down at her wrists.

'They're chakra cuffs, kid. You aint getting out of them anytime soon,' A man's voice echoed through the room from beside her, sending shivers up her spine.

She glanced to her left and her eyes widened in surprise. He had spiky grey hair, just long enough to be pulled back into a short ponytail. His harsh black eyes were hidden behind perfectly round frames, which he pushed casually further up his nose.

He looked so normal, and she realised absently that she had been expecting some sort of mutant snake army to emerge from the shadows.

'W-where am I? What happened?' She was still dazed from her unconsciousness, and she tried frantically to remember the last few events.

'You're in one of Lord Orochimaru's prison cells. Struggling is useless, you aren't leaving anytime soon.'

Akira felt her heart twist as she remembered the Akatsuki. 'Where are they? What have you done to them?'

He chuckled quietly, knowing exactly who she meant. As he watched her squirm, her panic became more and more evident on her features. 'They're around. I would be worrying much more about my own situation though if I were you…'

He moved from leaning on the wall to crouch down in front of her. He lifted a hand to brush a strand of hair from her eyes and she flinched at his touch.

'Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions about your little friends. Answer them correctly and I promise you, no one will get hurt,' he lied cruelly, a mocking smirk playing on his lips.

She glowered at him and hissed between clenched teeth, 'And what if I don't?'

'Hmm…' He backhanded her cheek with a loud 'smack' and she gasped in pain and shock.

He leaned closer to whisper against her ear. 'Then we do it the hard way.'

*************** Elsewhere ***************

'I'm done, yeah! Let's get moving!' Deidara practically shoved Tobi forward and they tore down the halls in the direction Kisame had run.

'Which way, Senpai?' The teenager panted.

'We split up. Find Akira! Itachi and Kisame can hold their own,' he was already racing away as he shouted back his last few words.

Now alone, Tobi sighed. He walked a little further until he came across a set of stairs, illuminated by candlelight. 'Finally…'

Jogging down the steps, he paused as he reached the bottom and craned his neck against a large metal door, blocking his path.

Akira cried out as a searing pain rippled through her thigh. The man pushed his glasses up his nose and tutted. 'See now you wouldn't have to go through any of this if you'd just tell me where the ten tails is.'

'I told you I don't know! And even if I did I would NEVER tell you!' She scrabbled helplessly against the wall as he dug another kunai into her leg, twisting it slightly and sneering as she yelped.

She doubled over in a weak attempt of protection, only to have her head yanked up as the man grabbed a fistful of green hair. His fist connected with her cheek, sending her sprawling across the murky floor as far as the chains would allow.

His heavy boot collided painfully with her stomach and she coughed hard, clamping her hand over her mouth as she began to splutter blood.

From outside, Tobi pulled back from the door and sucked in a deep breath. He drew his leg back and booted the metal door clean off its hinges, startling both occupants.

'T-Tobi…' Akira managed between rasping breaths, she struggled to sit herself up and leaned back against the cold wall.

'Kabuto,' the teenagers voice was low and dangerous. Akira didn't know how such strong hatred could be conveyed through a single word, least of all from _him_.

'Hah, so you joined the Akatsuki, hm?' Kabuto pushed his glasses up his nose again, an irritating habit that Akira scowled at.

'Don't push me. I _will_ kill you…' Her blood ran cold and she froze, staring at the stranger in her best friend's body. _Is this really Tobi? Maybe Orochimaru got to him… Maybe he's under his control…_

Something gleamed in Kabuto's eye as he crouched into a defensive stance.

Before either of them could make a move, their little party was crashed abruptly when Deidara and Kisame burst into the room.

'_Kabuto_!' Kisame spat at him, and Deidara narrowed his eyes as he spotted Akira.

Suddenly, a deafening series of explosions began to rumble throughout the hideout, and Itachi appeared swiftly in the doorway.

'We've go to get out of here, _now_.' It disturbed her to think that even Itachi had noted their circumstances as dire.

Kabuto sighed, 'Well I really hate to leave you at such an exciting moment in time, but I do believe that is my cue to leave,' He made a hand sign and vanished before anyone could make a grab for him.

Shaking his head angrily, Itachi shouted at them. 'Did you hear me? _Move_!'

Deidara sent a small clay bird spiralling up to the ceiling, blowing a wide, gaping hole in the roof. Itachi and Kisame leapt through it, and Deidara pulled out a kunai to slash the chakra cuffs open in one forceful blow.

She winced slightly as he cradled her in his arms. Using the same escape as their comrades, Deidara landed on one of the large clay birds they had travelled on, that he had left hidden in the trees for their quick getaway.

He set her down gently and began to steer the construct away.

'Wait, where's Tobi?' She screeched, almost diving headfirst back into the hideout.

Deidara caught her arm and pulled her back sharply. 'He's finishing the explosives! There's a section at the back that needs manually igniting!'

'What?! He'll never survive the other explosions in there… He'll be killed!' She struggled against his grip but he only held on tighter. 'Deidara, go back! We have to go back!'

'Tobi knows this mission is vital and if we mess this up now all hell will break loose is that what you want, yeah?'

His harsh words hit her like a merciless slap in the face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pushed desperately against his chest. 'Let go! We have to go back! We have to–'

Her cries were cut off by a deafeningly thunderous explosion below them. Her mouth hung open and her lip quivered as she stared at the large gaping hole in the terrain, where Orochimaru's base had once been hidden.

She felt Deidara's arms loosen and he pulled her closer. She let him rock her quietly, no longer able to control her body as the horrific realisation hit her. This had been their plan all along. The main event, Deidara's specialty. It had to be manually ignited, using Tobi as a mere pawn.

A single sob ripped from her throat.

Deidara felt his heart break at the sudden noise, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he 'shh'ed her. 'We couldn't go back, yeah…' He mumbled into her hair. 'I'm so sorry.'

* * *

**A/N:** ...I know. I killed Tobi. I'M SO SORRY.

I actually love his childish character, but I thought I'd better bring his real side out before it finished.

One more chapter left, then I'll probably do an Epilogue. I'm considering a sequel when it's finally finished but it probably won't be immediate.

Thanks for reading, please R&R! x


	20. Memories

**A/N:** Just a random fact to point out, I think Konan's hair is bluey/purple. So, I call it both.

And yes, this is the last chapter, but I'm writing an Epilogue :)

Anyway, hope you like it :) x

* * *

Cold. She felt cold.

She hadn't left her room since they had returned. Konan had knocked a few times and brought her some small plates of food, none of which she had even acknowledged. The only other person who passed by was Deidara.

He would come and sit with her for a few hours each day, chattering nonsense about everything and anything that happened around the base. How Hidan had broken another piece of cutlery in his rage or, how Kisame had lost his temper with Kakuzu for taking over the living room tables to count his money. She rarely responded, but he rarely expected her to.

At one point, he had told her how Pein wanted her to know how he wished that they could have executed the plan differently, but that he still felt it was the only way to accomplish their task.

Pein… She knew pain.

After four days, her aching stomach had convinced her to shuffle into the kitchen in search of something to eat. She routed half-heartedly in the cupboard, and her hand settled on a bag of pasta. She threw it into a pan and began to boil the water. Someone entered the kitchen behind her and placed an empty glass by the sink. Her eyes never left the bubbling liquid on the stove.

She jumped out of her trance when a hand landed softly on her own, just for a second. Then it was gone. She glanced behind her slowly, just in time to see a long black ponytail disappear through the door. Itachi.

The other members seemed to leave her alone, even Hidan hadn't been to visit to drop any snide comments. It surprised her enough to be curious about where everyone had gone.

She doubted they were grieving, she remembered the way they had been told of Sasori's death when she had first arrived. Granted, she hadn't known him all that well, but he couldn't have been that bad of a person for them to act do nonchalant.

On the fifth day of her moping, she made a decision. She made her way to Pein's office, occasionally pausing to lean on each corridor wall to briefly reconsider her choice. But each time, she landed at the same conclusion. _It'll never be the same here…_

She lifted her hand to knock on the door, but it creaked open before she could. Konan's amber eyes peered at her from behind the wood, and she smiled sadly at the green-haired girl.

'I think we know why you're here…'

She sat down in a chair in front of the desk, with grey ringed eyes watching her intently. She didn't really know what to say to them, all she knew was that her decision was final.

'You want to leave?' He voiced her thoughts, and her head snapped up to look him straight in the eye.

She nodded slowly, still trying to decide what to say.

'I assume there will be no convincing you otherwise,' he hesitated and glanced at his companion. Konan's expression was strange, almost pained, but he continued anyway. 'I'm sure you're aware that anyone who has been associated with our organisation can become a liable target to enemies, and therefore a risk to our anonymity…'

'I know that,' She began, cutting him off. 'That's why, I'm willing to erase my memories of the Akatsuki,'

Konan gasped and Pein raised an eyebrow, regarding her curiously.

'You're taking the coward's way out?'

'Pein!' The purple-haired woman scolded him moving to kneel beside Akira, whose head had dropped as she was now staring at her hands. 'Have you really thought this through? It's a large chunk out of your life, Akira…'

'Actually, it's all I've thought about for the last few days. It's the only conclusion I can come up with that works for both the Akatsuki and myself,' She flickered her gaze back up at the orange-haired man. 'No one can interrogate me if there's nothing to get out of it, so your secrets will be safe,'

Pein sighed and nodded once. 'It's your decision.'

She stood up and turned to leave. A small tear slid down her cheek and dripped off her chin. Her hand rested on the door handle as she looked back to where the two members were hovering. 'Thank you… For everything,'

With that she left. She closed the door quietly behind her and looked up to meet a pair of pale blue eyes watching her carefully.

'You're leaving…'

It wasn't a question.

She sighed and nodded gently. Deidara's expression was a mixture of contorted grief and anger and it hurt her to think that she was the cause of that pain.

'And you want to forget. Everything. Right?'

She dropped his gaze, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.

'Why?'

She flinched at his question. She had known it was coming, but a small part of her had continued to hope this could all be avoided.

She whispered something too quiet for him to hear and he cupped his hands around her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. She tried to focus on his face, but tears had begun to blur her vision, welling up in her eyes.

'Because I don't _want_ to remember…'

He frowned at her reply. 'So you're just running away, yeah? From his memory, from your home… From me…'

She pulled her face away and tried to duck past him to retreat to her room.

'Akira! At least tell me why, yeah! Why would you throw everything away just because of one draw back–'

'One draw back?!' She whirled on her heel and glared directly into his visible blue eye.

'I-I didn't mean it like that–'

'I don't want to remember because it hurts, Deidara! It hurts so bad that I feel like my heart has been ripped out and I'm just stuck here helplessly watching as it beats it's last few moments of life away! I'm trapped in this place, with these people… These people that are a constant reminder of what they did, of what I did!' She panted hard, the tears flowing more thoroughly and dribbling down her neck onto the floor.

'You… You blame yourself?'

She rubbed her eyes furiously, trying to stifle her violent sobs. 'I should have gone back. I should have tried harder. I could have…' Her voice trailed off.

He stood there, frozen, until eventually she tore her streaming eyes away from his and ran. She didn't stop running, even as she reached the base exit. She charged into the daylight, her bare feet skimming the fresh dew on the grass. She finally collapsed into a shivering heap when she was sure she was far enough away from the Akatsuki base and all her painful memories. _And him…_

She shook her head and clamped a hand over her forehead, gathering her chakra. _I can give memories… And I can take them away._ She closed her eyes and through her fading sniffs, began to hum a soft lullaby.

There was a blinding flash of pure white light, and then there was nothing. Just darkness.

Just a soft, gentle hum left lingering on the cool, morning breeze.

And she forgot.

* * *

**A/N:** Please R&R... :D x


	21. Epilogue

**A/N:** I'm so sorry. I am a bad, bad person.

There will be a sequel, but this ending is a horrific cliffhanger...

Enjoy anyway ;D x

* * *

The sun was just beginning to dip below the auburn horizon as the cool, gentle waves lapped against her feet. She smiled and closed her eyes, her hair loose and blowing softly around her face as another ocean breeze drifted across the sand.

Seagull's squawked noisily overhead, a cluster of wings flapping against each other as they landed behind her. She turned to watch them squabble childishly over a leftover chip on the beach and frowned slightly as the sight drew up a fuzzy memory in her mind. Her companion tilted his head at her troubled expression.

'Something wrong, Akira?' His light brown hair drooped limply around his face as his chocolate eyes narrowed in concern.

She turned back to give him a small smile. 'It's nothing. I thought they reminded me of something, hat's all…'

'Something to do with your past?' He placed his hand over hers on the sand, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

'Maybe. I'm not sure. Whatever it was it's gone now,'

'Well alright, we should be heading back into town now anyway. The Mizukage wants to see me early tomorrow morning for a mission.'

'Oh?' She lowered her voice as they stood up to leave. 'Is that about the Jinchuuriki criminals again?'

He chuckled. 'No, I think she's just trying to keep me busy for a while, she knows I've been bored stuck in the village recently!'

The pair made their way back through the sand dunes, returning to civilisation. As they paused outside her house, the boy pulled Akira in for a hug, startling her.

'Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything.'

She smiled against his neck and nodded. 'Thanks, Haru.'

Once alone, Akira trudged up the stairway and unlocked the door to her small apartment. It was simplistic accommodation, with only one bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living area. The bare walls had been painted in a plain off-white colour, and the furniture had a rustic theme to it.

She shuffled in her draws for a fresh pair of pyjamas and quickly slipped into the bed, pulling the covers right up to her nose. As she began to drift away into unconsciousness, her nightmares returned to haunt her.

I'm cold… So cold. There's nobody else here, in this dark abysmal place. I see a brief flicker of candlelight at the end of the tunnel, and I slowly edge towards it. As I reach the flame, it blows out, and I am consumed by darkness.

_I feel someone's breath on the back of my neck, and I whirl around to meet two, wicked yellow eyes and they're smirking at me. I try to move away but a cold metal presses against my throat. I try to scream out but there's nobody here to save me._

_And then I hear a voice… It's distant, but I hear it. He's calling my name and I run towards it, desperately racing through the dimly lit corridor trying in vain to find him… Him… Who is 'him'?_

_I have heard his voice before, whispering my name and I've tried to find him. I always try to find him. And then it fades away._

_But not this time. This time, I see him. I can see him at the end of the tunnel, one pale blue eye smiling at me warmly, his other eye hidden by a long veil of blonde hair. I reach out to touch him, but he moves away from my grasp. His expression changes. He looks hurt. Did I do that? Did I do something wrong?_

_I start to back away and someone catches my arm. I spin around and there's a new face. Except, this one isn't a face… It's a mask. A bright, orange, swirling mask…_

Akira bolted upright in her bed, sweaty and gasping for air. She glanced at her clock and groaned. It was still dark outside, but the birds were just beginning to sing.

Sighing and running her fingers through her messy bed-hair, she wandered into the bathroom. Turning the tap on, she regarded her reflection in the overhanging mirror for a moment, before reaching down to scoop up a handful of water and brought it up to her face.

She felt more restless than most mornings and didn't really feel like going back to bed, so she pulled on a long blue top and grey leggings and made her way outside.

_I wonder if Haru is awake yet…_ She figured even if he wasn't, he probably wouldn't mind her calling by. After all, he was the only one who ever seemed interested in her unusual reoccurring nightmare.

She tapped on his door quietly as to avoid waking his neighbours and stood back, waiting for him to answer. Jus as she was about to give up, the door creaked open slowly and her groggy eyed friend poked his head through the gap.

'Oh, it's you,'

She grinned. 'Sorry to wake you. I couldn't get back to sleep.'

He gestured for her to enter and she settled herself into the couch as he poured them some tea.

'So did you have that crazy dream again?' He mumbled from the kitchen, still half asleep.

'Yeah, but there was more this time. Two new faces…'

He put her mug down on the table beside her and ran a hand through his scruffy mop of hair. He blew on his tea as he waited for her to continue.

'It started the same again. Same corridor, same yellow eyes, same voice calling me. But this time there was a strange blue-eyed man at the end of the corridor where I run to. He seems happy to see me at first, but then he changes and looks away…'

'Hmm, maybe you hurt someone in the past?'

She raised an eyebrow at him. 'You're not making me feel better about this…'

'Sorry, carry on,' he chuckled.

'So then the second face comes in, but it's covered by an weird orange mask,' She frowned and took a sip of her tea. 'And then I woke up.'

He thought for a minute and then sighed. 'What I don't understand is, why would you erase your own memories?'

'I don't know. We don't even know for sure if it was me who did it! Maybe I had no choice?'

They're conversation was suddenly interrupted by thunder rumbling through the valley.

Haru's brow knitted together as he headed to the window. 'There isn't any storms due for weeks…' He muttered. Another blast of noise echoed into their ears making Akira jump to her feet.

'That's not thunder…' She ran to join her friend at the window, who was gawping at the entrance to the village. Great clouds of thick, black smoke were twisting over the village. 'Come on, let's go!'

They sped out the building and raced towards the Mist Village gates. They skidded to a halt, jaws hitting the floor at the site that greeted them. Two of the Mist watch towers had been blown to smithereens and at the foot of the last standing tower, were two dark figures shrouded in smoke.

As the dust and ash began to clear, Haru heard a gasp from Akira's direction. Her knees buckled beneath her and he dived to catch her before she hit the ground.

'Akira! What is it?'

She was staring at one of the figures, a look of shock and terror. He had dirty blonde hair that was half tied in a loose ponytail, and wearing a black cloak with a strange red cloud pattern.

Concern growing in his chocolate eyes, Haru took hold of her shoulders and gave them a light squeeze, trying to pull her out of her trance. She blinked a few times and her eyes began to refocus.

'Akira, what's wrong?'

'It's him…' Her voice was barely audible but he heard her loud and clear. 'The man from my nightmare…'

* * *

**A/N:** SO! I hope you don't all hate me too much, those of you who have stuck with me are all fabulous and I'm so grateful for all your reviews!

It's been fun while it lasted, and I'm planning a few more stories for the near future.

I'm thinking of pre-writing them and then I have a head-start at uploading cause these past 3 weeks have been mad crazy trying to update so often!

Please feel free to let me know what you think of this fic, I hope to see you again soon!

Over and out! :D x


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